In a recent report, the Binance official detained in Nigeria filed a lawsuit against the government for violating human rights. The Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan has been in custody for the past few weeks due to their involvement in money laundering, tax evasion, and other criminal charges.
In his submission, the executive claimed that the local authority’s confiscation of his travel document was unconstitutional. Based on the complexity of the matter, Mr. Gambaryan argued that the seizure of his passport by the authority contravened Nigerian law.
Detained Binance Official Accuse Nigerian Government for Violation of Human Right
Also, he condemned the legal action taken by the Nigerian Office of the National Security Advisor (ONSA) and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) against Binance. The official confessed that the ONSA and EFCC had invited the two officials to deliberate on matters concerning the Binance operation in the West African country.
In honor of the invitation, the two officials flew to Abuja to meet the government official. Hours after the arrival, the two Binance executives were apprehended for facilitating money laundering.
Before the arrest, the Nigerian authority had enforced restrictive measures to restore the local currency’s stability. A few months ago, the Naira value significantly depreciated due to the increased demand for the dollar.
The devaluation of naira exposed the Nigerian authority to economic crises and hindered the government’s ability to combat the biting inflation. According to the local news agency Punch, the devaluation of the naira forced the government to take potential action against Binance and other non-compliant firms in the region.
Besides arresting the officials, the Nigerian government conducted a thorough investigation of Binance’s operation in the country. From the information gathered by the Nigerian authority, the law enforcers concluded that Binance’s operation was unlawful and violated the existing tax laws.
Nigeria Request Binance to Disclose User Details
The Binance’s noncompliance with the Nigerian laws forced the regulators to demand the exchange disclose the names of local traders. The law enforcement requested Binance to provide a comprehensive report containing the names of the investors and transaction history for the last six months.
In a recent court filing, the Nigerian court issued a warrant and extradition orders to arrest Binance official Nadeem Anjarwalla, who escaped custody a few days ago. The report indicates that Anjarwalla escaped custody when being escorted to the mosque for Friday morning prayers.
Binance Official Escapes Custody
The Nigerian law enforcers claimed that Anjarwalla boarded a flight on a Middle East airliner using his Kenyan passport. The Nigerian authorities seized Anjarwalla’s British passport to proceed with the ongoing investigations.
The long escape of Mr Anjarwalla compelled the Nigerian authority to collaborate with international law enforcers such as Interpol to bring back the prisoner. Also, the Nigerian authorities plan to work closely with the International Criminal Police Organisation, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Kenyan authorities to arrest Anjarwalla.
Commenting on the legal charges facing the Binance executive, Mr Gambaryan demanded that the ONSA and EFCC apologize for detaining the two executives. He argued that his arrest lacked substantial evidence.
Having worked with the regulators at the compliance department for a long time, the Gambaryan urged the Nigerian authorities to discontinue his sentencing.
Citing Section 35 (1) and (4) of the revised 1999 Nigerian constitution, Gambaryan retaliated that his arrest was against the law. Before joining Binance, Gambaryan worked at the IRS and led the tax regulators in investigating most of the significant financial crimes, such as the Mt.Gox case.
Also, Gambaryan led the IRS to investigate the DEA agent who stole millions of Bitcoin from Rodd Ulbricht, the developer of Silk Road. The official confessed that his arrest was one of the government’s approaches to demand Binance disclose information about Nigerian investors.
Guided by Nigerian law, the law enforcers were granted the legal power to arrest the two Binance officials without charges for 14 days. The court scheduled the two officials to be arraigned on April 04.
