The Binance executive detained by Nigerian authorities for nearly six weeks has pleaded not guilty to charges of money laundering. Binance expressed deep disappointment that Tigran Gambaryan, who holds no decision-making power within the company, remains in detention.
Judge Dismisses Tigran Gambaryan’s Arguments
Tigran Gambaryan, a detained executive from Binance, pleaded not guilty to money laundering charges when he appeared before a Nigerian judge on April 8. According to a report, this court appearance marked the first time in over six weeks that Gambaryan was able to assert his innocence.
After hearing arguments for Gambaryan’s release, Nigerian Justice Emeka Nwite ruled against the Binance executive. In his ruling, Nwite stated that Gambaryan had acted on behalf of the cryptocurrency exchange when he supervised the training of local officials on methods to detect cryptocurrency fraud.
As recently reported by Bitcoin.com News, Binance maintains that Gambaryan, a former U.S. Federal Agent, only heads the cryptocurrency exchange’s Financial Crime Compliance (FCC) and does not have a decision-making role. Binance contended that Nigerian authorities had no grounds for detaining its employee, whom it described as “a strict law enforcement professional.”
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Binance Disappointed With Court Ruling
However, the Nigerian judge dismissed the detained executive’s defense as “neither here nor there,” using Binance’s statement, which confirms Gambaryan’s agency. The judge then ordered that Gambaryan be transferred to Kuje Prison, a detention facility in Abuja.
In response to the court’s decision to send Gambaryan to prison pending his bail hearing, said:
It is outrageous that he would be remanded in a prison such as Kuje Correctional Facility. We are deeply disappointed that Tigran Gambaryan, who has no decision-making power in the company, continues to be detained.
The crypto exchange also reiterated its belief that the detention of Gambaryan was without merit, given his background as a crime-fighting official.
Source: Bitcoin
