FG Withdraws $35 Million Money Laundering Charges Against Binance Executive

Court Orders Immediate Release of Gambaryan

During Wednesday’s proceedings, R.U. Adaba, counsel representing the EFCC, applied to the court to stop the prosecution of Gambaryan. She explained that diplomatic interventions between Nigerian and U.S. authorities played a significant role in the decision to drop the charges, coupled with the severity of Gambaryan’s health condition.

According to Adaba, the defendant had been struggling with mobility issues, requiring a wheelchair or crutches, and surgery had been recommended to address his ailments.

Despite the EFCC’s decision to withdraw the charges against Gambaryan, the court did not grant him full acquittal. Judge Nwite ruled that Gambaryan be discharged due to his role as an employee, not a principal figure in the case, but stopped short of dismissing the case entirely. The judge also directed that Gambaryan be released immediately from the correctional facility.

Money Laundering Charges Against Binance Remain

Although Gambaryan was discharged, the court sustained the money laundering charges against Binance Holdings Limited, which now stands as the sole defendant in the case. The cryptocurrency exchange is accused of laundering $34.4 million and engaging in currency speculation, actions that the EFCC claims have negatively impacted Nigeria’s forex market and economy.

The case will continue, with the next hearing set for November 22 and 25, 2024. The decision to drop charges against Gambaryan marks the culmination of months of behind-the-scenes diplomatic negotiations between Nigeria and the U.S., with pressure from U.S. lawmakers to secure his release after the court twice denied his bail requests earlier this year.

The upcoming hearings will determine the future of the case as the government continues its legal proceedings against Binance.