The Nigerian government has pledged to continue its pursuit of a criminal case against cryptocurrency platform Binance and its officials following bribery allegations made by Binance CEO Richard Teng. Teng alleged that Nigerian officials demanded a $150 million cryptocurrency bribe to settle criminal charges against the firm.
According to reports, Binance compliance officer Tigran Gambaryan, a former US law enforcement agent, received a message demanding the bribe during a trip to Nigeria in January. Gambaryan and colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla were subsequently arrested, with Anjarwalla escaping and being traced to Kenya, while Gambaryan remains in detention.
The trial for tax evasion and money laundering was postponed until May 17, with Gambaryan reportedly providing a report of the payment request to Binance’s lawyers and alerting contacts in the Nigerian government. Binance denied Gambaryan’s decision-making power in the company.
The Nigerian government stated its intent to present its case based on facts and evidence, while Binance will have the opportunity to defend itself. Teng’s post detailed Binance’s engagement with Nigeria, highlighting the country’s significant crypto industry and past regulatory directives. The post also described a contentious meeting with lawmakers and alleged demands for a secret payment to settle allegations. Binance declined the payment demand via its counsel.
Source: Channels TV