Nigerian Judge To Hear Money Laundering Case Against Binance Next Week

A Nigerian judge will hear a money laundering case against crypto exchange, Binance and two of its executives next week, more than a month earlier than planned after defence lawyers asked for the date change. This is according to a statement by the prosecutor on Monday, 26th of August, 2024.

Reuters reports that Binance and the executives – U.S. citizen and head of financial crime compliance Tigan Gambaryan, and the exchange’s British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla – have been charged with laundering more than $35 million.

Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, is also facing accusations of tax evasion.

Both Binance and Gambaryan have denied the charges. Anjarwalla escaped from detention and left Nigeria before the trial started.

Gambaryan has been detained in Nigeria since February and his health has deteriorated in prison, his wife Yuki Gambaryan said this month.

She has appealed to the Nigerian government to drop the charges against her husband and release him on health grounds, and also asked the U.S. government to help secure his release.