Detained Worker Not Part Of Binance Management – Crypto Firm Asserts

Cryptocurrency giants, Binance has clarified that Tigran Gambaryan, a detained employee in Nigeria, is not a member of the company’s management.

The cryptocurrency exchange giant clarified in a statement released on Wednesday that Gambaryan, an American, serves exclusively as a law enforcement officer and does not hold decision-making authority.

Recall that Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla from Binance Holdings Limited, were arrested in Nigeria in February on suspicion of money laundering activities.

Charges were filed last Thursday at the Federal High Court in Abuja against the firm and its two employees, including money laundering totaling $35,400,000, among other allegations.

As Gambaryan remains detained, Anjarwalla managed to evade custody and fled the country.

However, the Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led Federal Government has commenced talks with the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) over the extradition of Binance chief Anjarwalla, who escaped from detention in Nigeria and fled the country on March 22.

Binance’s statement reads, “Tigran is a strict law enforcement professional and is not part of Binance management. While he has left the official service of the U.S. government, he has remained fully committed to the role of law enforcement officer ever since, operating as a global advocate for good governance and transparent regulatory financial practices.

“Binance respectfully requests that Tigran Gambaryan, who has no decision-making power in the company, is not held responsible while current discussions are ongoing between Binance and Nigerian government officials.

“In 2022 and 2023, Tigran’s Financial Crime Compliance team assisted global law enforcement in freezing and seizing more than $2.2b worth of assets, including more than $285m in cooperation with United States agencies like the FBI, DOJ, DEA, and others.

“This included a three-hour online workshop for 70 Nigerian EFCC officials in mid-2023 and, late last year, two full-day sessions for EFCC officials in Abuja and Lagos, with more than 30 investigators attending each of them.”