Just In: Binance Executive Replies FG on Bribery Allegations
- Binance executive Tigram Gambaryan has insisted that his allegations against some government officials were valid
- Gambaryan made the claim while reacting to the rebuttal of his earlier allegations by the federal government
- Mohammed Idris, the minister of information and national orientation, described the earlier statement by the cryptocurrency boss as defamatory and lacking evidence
Tigran Gambaryan, the Binance executive, has said that his allegations that Nigerian officials demanded bribes from him remain valid, this is contrary to the defence of the federal government.
Gambaryan, who is the head of financial crime compliance of Binance, was under detention in Nigeria between February and October 2024.
Source: Twitter
Why FG arrested Binance executive
The federal government has revealed that his arrest was part of the larger investigation into the alleged money laundering and economic sabotage associated with Binance's activities in Nigeria.
But while sharing his experience in a tweet, Gambaryan claimed that some lawmakers demanded substantial bribes in cryptocurrency. He mentioned the names of three lawmakers who demanded the bribe accrued to $150 million.
He also alleged that the National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu demanded significant payouts from Binance for his political ambition.
Minister reacted to Binance's executive's allegation
Reacting to the allegation, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, described Gambaryan's claim as "defamatory" and "outrageous".
The Nigerian minister recalled the federal government rejected a $5 million offer from the cryptocurrency giant in exchange for the release of Gambaryan and the Nigerian government opted for a more favourable settlement with the US government.
Idris maintained that Gambaryan's allegation did not have any credibility and presented itself to discredit Nigerian officials.
Binance executive speaks on allegation against FG
However, in another tweet on Saturday, February 15, Gambaryan alleged that the federal government used him to negotiate a beneficial settlement with the US government.
He said that the federal government dragged his name through the mud for the past year without any evidence against him. He claimed that he was nearly killed. The Binance executive also claimed that the situation caused his family some trauma. He then questioned why the Nigerian government described his allegations as defamation.
His statement reads in part:
“So I was released on humanitarian grounds? At least you’re finally admitting the need to release me. The last time you posted, you claimed my health was fine and that there was nothing wrong with me.
“You investigated? Yet you didn’t take a statement from me? A person with direct knowledge. What a joke."
See his tweet here:
Binance's official accused Nigerian lawmakers of demanding bribes
Legit.ng earlier reported that Binance's Head of Financial Crime Compliance Tigran Gambaryan has mentioned three Nigeria's House of Representatives members who demanded a $150 million bribe from him during his travails.
Recall that Gambaryan and one other were recently detained by the Nigerian government and were on trial, but the charges against him were dropped after the US government's intervention.
However, Gambaryan did not present any documentary evidence to support his claims against the lawmakers and the veracity of the allegations was yet to be verified.
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Source: Legit.ng
