A Nigerian court has postponed the tax evasion case of the detained Binance executive to April 19, while the hearing for the cryptocurrency exchange itself is scheduled for April 8. The court also ordered that the executive Tigran Gambaryan be held in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
Nigerian Court Postpones Detained Binance Executive’s Tax Evasion Case to April 19
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Tigran Gambaryan Accused of Assisting Users in Tax Evasion
A Nigerian court has adjourned the case involving Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who faces tax evasion charges, to April 19. The court also ruled that Gambaryan, who faces charges of aiding Nigerian users in tax evasion, should remain in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
As previously reported by Bitcoin.com News, Gambaryan and fellow executive Nadeem were detained by agents from the Nigerian Office of the National Security Adviser. Several local media reports have linked the detention to Binance’s refusal to disclose the identities of the platform’s Nigerian users.
Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, who has since escaped from custody, were subsequently housed at a government “guesthouse” in Abuja. Several organizations, including the Digital Chamber of Commerce, have called for Gambaryan’s release, but the Nigerian government has thus far ignored these pleas.
Binance executive Gambaryan appeared before Nigerian Judge Emeka Nwite a few days after the crypto exchange demanded his release. In a statement, Binance maintained that Gambaryan does not hold a decision-making position and should therefore not be held accountable.
In addition to adjourning Gambaryan’s tax evasion case, Judge Nwite also scheduled Binance’s next hearing for April 8.
The Nigerian government, struggling to curb the local currency’s depreciation against the U.S. dollar, suspects that currency speculators are exploiting Binance’s platform to exacerbate the naira’s decline. In response, Nigerian authorities have directed the country’s telecommunications regulator to block access to Binance and two other significant cryptocurrency exchanges.
The increased scrutiny as well as the blockade on its platform has since forced Binance to drop trading pairs that include the naira.
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