- Binance’s money laundering trial in Nigeria had been postponed to May 17 as per a family spokesperson of detained executive Tigran Gambaryan
- Interpol has confirmed that the extradition paperwork for fleeing Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla has been completed
A Nigerian high court in the country’s capital Abuja has adjourned Binance’s money laundering trial to May 17. The prosecution has reportedly been stalled after a lawyer for Binance told the court he has not been served the necessary documents to prepare for the trial.
Binance Money Laundering Trial Moved to May 17
Justice Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge in the Binance case had earlier scheduled the money laundering trial for today May 2. However, a family spokesperson of detained Binance executive Tim Gambaryan reported that the trial failed to go as planned and has been pushed back to May 17.
Today in court, Binance’s lawyer complained that he had not yet been served with the additional proof of evidence that he needed to prepare for the case. Consequently, the court served him the 300-page document while also adjourning the case to May 17 to buy him more time to review the document and better prepare for the case.
Coincidentally Binance’s tax evasion trial will also be starting on May 17. In addition to the money laundering charges from Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the country’s Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) in a separate case, charged Binance with failing to register with the agency for tax reporting purposes.
The case was adjourned on April 19 amidst back and forths between the FIRS’ and Gambaryan’s lawyers. While the FIRS lawyer argued that Gambaryan should face the charges on behalf of Binance, Gambaryan’s lawyer Chukwuka Ikuazom objected, insisting that it was a joint charge against Binance and its executives and that his client couldn’t make a plea until the first defendant (Binance) had been served the charges according to Nigerian law.
Interpol Completes Extradition Paperwork for Escaped Binance Chief Nadeem Anjarwalla
INTERPOL Africa, the International Criminal Police Organisation in Africa said it has concluded all the paperwork for the extradition of Binance executive Nadeem Anjarwalla, who escaped detention in Nigeria for Kenya.
Anjarwalla, a British Kenyan and Binance’s Regional Manager for Africa was arrested alongside his colleague Gambaryan by Nigerian authorities in late February. The duo and Binance were then charged with money laundering upwards of $35 million and tax evasion alongside other accusations.
Anjarwalla mysteriously escaped the custody of Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission on March 22 and was later traced to Kenya after collaborative efforts between Nigerian and Kenyan authorities.
According to Garba Umar the Vice President of Interpol Africa, efforts are already being made to extradite Anjarwalla to Nigeria.
“We have completed all the paperwork. All the law enforcement agencies have completed the paperwork and handed it over to Interpol, which is working on it.”
Umar further said INTERPOL is “doing everything possible” to ensure that Kenya complies with its “rules of international police cooperation” by starting the extradition process to bring Anjarwalla back to Nigeria.
According to a local Nigerian news outlet Punch, an anonymous government source also tipped them off about Anjarwalla’s extradition stating that “he has been arrested in Kenya, and he’ll be extradited to Nigeria this week.”