Court adjourns trial of Binance executives till May 17

A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the trial in the money laundering suit against Binance Holdings Limited and two executives, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, until May 17. During the recent proceedings, the defendant’s counsel, Tony Krukrubo, informed the court that he had not yet received the additional proof of evidence.

The court bailiff reported that he had attempted to serve Gambaryan with the documents at Kuje prison on April 30, but Gambaryan vehemently refused to accept them. Instead, Gambaryan instructed the bailiff to serve the documents to the lawyer representing the first defendant (Binance Holdings Limited), indicating that the company now has its own legal representation.

Justice Emeka Nwite, the trial judge, instructed that Binance’s legal representative be handed the documents in court. Following this service, the proceedings were adjourned. Justice Nwite stated, “This case will reconvene for trial on May 17.”

Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi (SAN), argued before the court in an attempt to secure bail for his client. Mordi highlighted that Gambaryan had been detained for over 50 days in a foreign country without any visits from family members, which has been challenging for him.

He also asserted that his client does not present a flight risk, contrary to the prosecution’s claim. “He can’t leave anywhere; the EFCC already has his passport. Simply being confined here without the ability to see his family is torment enough,” he remarked. “The proof of service does not contain any document that would implicate my client. I challenge the complainant to produce it if it exists.”

On the other hand, the prosecution counsel, Emeka Iheanacho, urged the court not only to reject Gambaryan’s bail plea but also to transfer him from Kuje prison to EFCC custody to prevent any possibility of escape.