A Nigerian court on Tuesday adjourned a money laundering trial against cryptocurrency exchange Binance and two of its executives to October 11, due to the non-submission of a court-ordered medical report for one of the defendants.
Binance, along with executives Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and head of financial crimes compliance, and British-Kenyan national Nadeem Anjarwalla, a regional manager for Africa, face charges of laundering more than $35 million and conducting specialised financial activities without a licence. Additionally, the exchange faces four separate counts of tax evasion. All parties have pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Gambaryan appeared in court in a wheelchair on Tuesday. His case has been delayed since May due to his inability to stand trial owing to health issues. Binance previously stated that Gambaryan had been suffering from malaria and pneumonia.
Trial Judge Emeka Nwite expressed frustration with the ongoing dispute over Gambaryan’s medical records. Despite a court order, the hospital where Gambaryan was treated has not released the documents. The judge issued a bench warrant for the arrest of the hospital’s medical director, mandating their presence at the next hearing. Judge Nwite also ordered that Gambaryan be admitted to the hospital for 24 hours for proper treatment and further evaluation.
Last month, two U.S. lawmakers urged the United States embassy in Nigeria to seek Gambaryan’s release on humanitarian grounds due to his poor health. Gambaryan has been in detention since February.
Binance has not commented on the latest developments but is contesting the charges. The company has previously been blamed by Nigerian authorities for contributing to the country’s currency issues, as cryptocurrency platforms became the primary venues for trading the Nigerian naira amidst chronic dollar shortages and a significant depreciation of the naira.
The next court session is scheduled for October 11.
