The Nigerian government has dropped all charges against Tigran Gambaryan, a Binance Holdings executive, who has been in detention since April on money laundering allegations.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the prosecuting body, announced its decision to withdraw the charges during a hearing at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday.
The hearing, held discreetly two days ahead of the scheduled 25 October court date, appeared to be arranged to avoid public attention.
During the session, the EFCC’s lawyer explained that Mr. Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, was merely an employee of Binance and not directly involved in the activities for which he was being prosecuted.
Mark Mordi, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Mr. Gambaryan’s defense attorney, agreed, stating that his client had no involvement in the broader financial decisions of the company.
The unexpected decision to drop the charges followed months of behind-the-scenes diplomatic efforts between Nigerian and U.S. officials, who had been lobbying for Mr. Gambaryan’s release. U.S. lawmakers had also advocated for his freedom, appealing to both Nigerian and American authorities. Despite this, Mr. Gambaryan had been denied bail twice, with the judge ruling him a flight risk.
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Most recently, Judge Emeka Nwite had rejected a bail application on 11 October, citing insufficient grounds for release based on ill health.
He set a new trial date for 18 October, but Mr. Gambaryan did not appear, prompting a rescheduled hearing for 25 October, which has now been overtaken by Wednesday’s developments.
Mr. Gambaryan had been held at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja since his arraignment in April. Alongside Binance, he faced charges related to money laundering and currency speculation involving $34.4 million. Binance is also facing a separate tax evasion case in another court.
The case against Mr. Gambaryan had gained attention after his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, reportedly escaped from custody in March. Despite Mr. Gambaryan’s deteriorating health, the court consistently rejected his bail applications, most recently on 11 October.
Judge Nwite dismissed the second bail request, ruling that the application was an abuse of court process, as Mr. Gambaryan was still appealing the earlier denial.
Though the judge did not grant bail, he ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) to transfer Mr. Gambaryan to a hospital in Abuja for medical care.
