United States President Joe Biden spoke to President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria, offering his appreciation that Binance’s head of financial crime compliance had been released on humanitarian grounds.
According to an Oct. 29 notice from the White House, President Biden had a call with President Tinubu in which he thanked the Nigerian leader for helping secure “the release on humanitarian grounds of American citizen and former US law enforcement official Tigran Gambaryan.”
The Binance executive had been in Nigeria custody for roughly eight months until being allowed to leave the country on Oct. 23.
Yuki Gambaryan calling for her husband’s release on Aug. 26. Source: YouTube
Held for eight months, repeatedly denied bail
Nigerian authorities detained Gambaryan and his colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla on Feb. 26 after they flew into the capital city of Abuja to discuss Binance’s activities and reports of “suspicious flows” at the exchange.
Reports suggested Anjarwalla escaped custody in March and fled to Kenya, while Gambaryan remained to face tax evasion and money laundering charges.
While being held at Kuje Prison, a family spokesperson reported Gambaryan suffered from a variety of medical problems, including pneumonia, malaria, and issues with his spine. Authorities repeatedly pushed hearings and denied bail for the Binance executive, claiming he posed a flight risk.
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A former IRS special agent, Gambaryan’s case drew attention from international news outlets and government officials as many suggested the allegations were directed at Binance rather than its representatives. In September, a video surfaced online showing Gambaryan struggling to walk to court, prompting outrage from many people, including Binance CEO Richard Teng.
“This inhumane treatment of Tigran must end,” said Teng in a Sept. 3 X post. “He must be allowed to go home for medical treatment and to be with his family.”
Nigerian authorities dropped the tax evasion charges against Anjarwalla and Gambaryan in June, and money laundering charges were dropped in October. A spokesperson for the Binance executive’s family reported he had left the country within 24 hours of the final charges being dropped to seek medical treatment in the US.
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