EFCC: We didn’t prevent Binance executive from being served with court papers

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) says it did not stop a court bailiff from serving Tigran Gambaryan, a detained Binance executive, with court documents.

Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, is currently in the custody of the EFCC.

On February 28, Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, Binance’s regional manager for Africa, were detained by the Nigerian authorities.

Although Anjarwalla escaped from the custody of the office of the national security adviser (ONSA), both executives, alongside Binance, are being charged by the federal government for tax evasion.

On March 25, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) filed a criminal charge against Binance for “tax evasion”.

THE COURT PROCEEDINGS

When the case was called in court on Thursday, Moses Ideh, prosecution counsel, said the team could not reach Gambaryan to serve a copy of the charge.

“My lord, the prosecution has not been able to serve a copy of the charge on the second defendant (Gambaryan),” Ideh had said.

“As a result, we mobilised the court bailiff to serve the second defendant but he was denied access, too.”

As a result, Ideh asked the judge to allow him to serve the charge on the defendant in court.

After serving the processes on the defendant, the prosecution prayed the court to either issue a stand down or adjourn the case to enable the defendant to confer with his lawyers.

Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, adjourned the matter to April 19 for the arraignment of the defendants.

There was no legal representation for Binance and Anjarwalla.

Reacting to a report, Dele Oyewale, EFCC spokesperson, in a statement on Friday, said the FIRS counsel did not tell the court that the agency stopped the service of charges on Gambaryan.

“At no time did the court bailiff approach the EFCC to serve any of the Binance executives in its custody with a charge,” the statement reads.

“At the last sitting of the court, counsel to the Federal Inland Revenue Service, FIRS, Moses Ideh, did not lodge such a complaint before the court. He only told the court that the service was yet to serve the defendants.”