Thomas Daniels
A Nigerian court has denied the bail application of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan, who faces charges of money laundering and currency manipulation, despite growing concerns over his deteriorating health.
On Friday, October 11, the court dismissed the request for medical bail, according to Bloomberg, but instructed prison authorities to ensure Gambaryan receives hospital treatment. The U.S. executive’s legal team has repeatedly raised alarms about his health, stating that his condition requires urgent surgery. U.S. lawmakers have also criticized his detention, calling it unjust.
Mark Mordi, Gambaryan’s lawyer, informed the court in September that his client has been awaiting surgery since mid-July. Mordi highlighted several medical issues, including malaria, pneumonia, tonsillitis, and complications from a herniated disc, which have led the Binance executive to require a wheelchair at times. Despite these claims, the court, which had previously deferred its decision in September, ultimately denied the bail application.
Gambaryan, who serves as Binance’s head of financial crime compliance and holds U.S. citizenship, was arrested in February along with British-Kenyan colleague Nadeem Anjarwalla. Both were detained at Abuja airport after responding to a summons for Binance representatives to appear in Nigeria’s capital. Following their arrest, Binance suspended all naira and peer-to-peer transactions in the country.
Anjarwalla, who initially escaped Nigeria in March using a concealed Kenyan passport, was later apprehended by Kenyan authorities at the request of the Nigerian Bureau of Interpol.
