President Biden thanks Nigerian President Tinubu for his role in securing Binance executive Gambaryan’s release, signaling a positive step in US-Nigeria diplomatic ties.
President Joe Biden has reached out to express his gratitude to President Bola Tinubu for the release of Tigran Gambaryan, an executive at Binance Holdings who was previously on trial in Nigeria facing charges related to money laundering and currency speculation.
On Tuesday at the State House in Abuja, Foreign Affairs Minister Yusuf Tuggar informed journalists that the two leaders also explored areas of partnership and cooperation, especially focusing on security issues in Africa, with a particular emphasis on West Africa.
Tuggar provided details about the phone call, which lasted thirty minutes, that President Tinubu received from Biden.
“The two leaders engaged in friendly conversation, after which President Biden expressed his gratitude to President Tinubu for their cooperative relationship and Nigeria’s collaboration, specifically highlighting the joint efforts between the countries’ law enforcement agencies. Additionally, he thanked him for facilitating the release of a suspect associated with Binance.”
The minister emphasized that all legal procedures were observed in the release of the Binance executive.
The Federal Government dismissed charges against the Binance executive last week following several months of trial concerning alleged money laundering.
The charges against Gambaryan, who has been detained since April, were dismissed due to health reasons.
A lawyer representing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced in front of Justice Emeka Nwite at the Federal High Court in Abuja that they were withdrawing the charges.
The EFCC lawyer stated that Gambaryan, a US citizen, was merely an employee of Binance and is being prosecuted for activities related to his role.
Mark Mordi, who serves as Gambaryan’s legal counsel, agreed with the prosecution. He stated that his client was not involved in Binance’s wider financial activities.
