Nigeria postpones bail hearing for Binance executive

Tigran Gambaryan, the Binance executive detained in Nigeria on account of the exchange’s alleged crimes, will have to wait another month for a decision on his bail plea.

Gambaryan appeared before an Abuja court after his legal team filed a new bail application, citing his failing health. The application claimed that the former IRS officer had developed multiple conditions in the six months he has been in prison, including malaria and pneumonia.

He also suffers from a herniated disc in his back, which has rendered him unable to walk without assistance.

In a video widely circulated on social media, Gambaryan can be seen struggling to walk as he headed to court for his hearing. Armed with a single crutch, he attempted to hold onto the police officer escorting him, who stepped away, insisting that it was a charade. Gambaryan alleged that his attempts to obtain a wheelchair had been rebuffed:

“[The officer] was told not to help me, he said there’s instructions from the government. This is fucked up. Why couldn’t I use a goddamn wheelchair? This is a show. I’m a fucking innocent person. Why are you doing this to me?”

“Nigerian Prison Official Abandons Binance Executive To Struggle In Pains In Court Premises As He Begs for Help ” pic.twitter.com/q8GhvIluNq

— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) September 2, 2024

It’s not the first time Gambaryan has appealed for bail on medical grounds. An Abuja judge dismissed his application in May. However, the prison holding him back then refused to surrender his medical records to the court for assessment.

This week, the prison submitted some of the records to the court; however, according to a family spokesperson, “key elements of the records, including an MRI scan, were missing.”

The Binance-Nigeria saga goes on

Despite Gambaryan’s visibly poor health and supporting medical records, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) insists that it’s all a show. The EFCC is the country’s watchdog for the finance industry and investigates crimes such as money laundering and fraud.

EFCC’s lead counsel, Ekene Iheanacho, told the court that Gambaryan had been walking without complications throughout his detention and only put on the show when he appeared before the cameras. He also claimed that the herniated disc wasn’t new and that the American had lived with the condition for the best part of a decade. Iheanacho says that the charade was all part of a plan by Gambaryan’s legal team to win public sympathy and push for a favorable ruling on his bail application.

After hearing from both parties, Justice Emeka Nwite deferred his decision to October 9, bringing Gambaryan’s time in detention to eight months.

Binance CEO Richard Teng continued his calls from the sidelines for the release of Gambaryan.

“This inhumane treatment of Tigran must end. He must be allowed to go home for medical treatment and to be with his family,” he stated in response to the video of a distressed Gambaryan in court.

In a blog post, Teng alleged that the Nigerian government has been denying Gambaryan access to proper medical care and adequate access to his legal team or U.S. consular support.

“Binance is calling for US intervention and global advocacy. We strongly urge the U.S. government and citizens and organizations globally to exert political pressure to secure Tigran’s release on humanitarian grounds and to protest against Nigeria’s unjust detention practices,” he wrote.

He joins Gambaryan’s wife and a group of U.S. congressmen who have also called for his unconditional release. Yuki Gambaryan described the treatment of her husband as “inhumane and degrading,” adding that “there must be consequences for this disregard of law and human rights.”

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