Nigeria Drops Tax Charges Against Detained Binance Executives Amid Health Concerns
Summary:
Nigeria's Federal Inland Revenue Service has dropped tax evasion charges against detained Binance executives Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla. However, money laundering accusations by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission remain. Gambaryan's deteriorating health is a major concern, as he battles pneumonia after collapsing due to Malaria. Families allege a lack of transparency by prison officials, who delayed taking him to the hospital despite a court order. The pair were originally arrested in February, while Anjarwalla subsequently escaped, only to be arrested again in Kenya. US lawmakers have written to the State Department highlighting Gambaryan's case, followed by a similar plea from former federal prosecutors.
On June 14, an announcement came from a family representative stating that certain charges against Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance executive currently under detention in Nigeria, have been dismissed by the authorities. The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) got rid of tax allegations levelled at Gambaryan as well as his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla. However, the duo still facing money laundering criminal charges presented by Nigeria's Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), with court proceedings set to continue on June 20. The Gambaryan family's representatives have condemned these charges as unfounded, using the tax charge dismissals as proof these charges should not have been brought initially.
An important topic of the most recent updates is the declining health of Gambaryan, who collapsed in court on May 23 due to Malaria. Gambaryan family representatives allege his state of health has worsened since then, with the development of pneumonia. The notice also accuses the prison authorities of withholding information about Gambaryan's health status. It is said that even after Justice Emeka Nwite ordered immediate medical attention for Gambaryan, the prison authorities only took him for a brief check-up after 11 days, and wouldn't share the results with his family, lawyers, or the U.S. embassy, instead choosing a prison member to be his next of kin.
Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were apprehended by the Nigerian officials in February over accusations of money laundering and tax evasion linked to Binance, even though the company had agreed to withdraw from Nigeria. Anjarwalla, in March, managed to break free from the Nigerian authorities using his Kenyan passport, only to be caught and arrested in Kenya, and now faces being returned to Nigeria.
U.S Lawmakers have recently brought to the attention of the State Department and presidential envoy for hostage affairs, Roger D. Carstens, the detention of Gambaryan, a one-time employee of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), which they say is unjust. This correspondence was followed by a letter to the State Department from past federal prosecutors, endorsing the American lawmakers' appeal for Gambaryan's liberation. This message was seen on June 6 and was signed by 108 former prosecutors.
Published At
6/14/2024 6:56:32 PM
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