LAGOS, Nigeria – The health of Tigran Gambaryan, a detained Binance executive, has reportedly worsened while he remains in a Nigerian prison facing serious money laundering charges, his wife disclosed on Monday.
Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and head of financial crime compliance at Binance, is accused of laundering over $35 million alongside Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British-Kenyan national and Binance’s regional manager for Africa.
Binance, recognized as the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, is also facing separate charges of tax evasion in Nigeria.
Both Gambaryan and the company have denied the allegations, maintaining their innocence. Anjarwalla, who managed to escape custody, fled Nigeria before the trial commenced.
Yuki Gambaryan, Tigran’s wife, expressed grave concerns about her husband’s deteriorating condition in a statement.
“His health is in a shockingly bad condition and getting worse by the day,” she stated, adding that he suffers from a herniated disc in his back, which has significantly worsened during his incarceration.
“The herniated disc in his back has worsened to the point where it might leave permanent damage and affect his ability to walk,” Yuki Gambaryan further explained.
She also reported that since July 26, her husband has been denied access to his legal team. Requests for comment from the Nigerian Correctional Service, which oversees the prison, went unanswered.
The legal troubles for Binance in Nigeria began when the government announced in March that it would halt all transactions and trading in the country’s local currency following a nationwide crackdown on cryptocurrency exchanges.
Authorities accused these exchanges of illegally trading in U.S. dollars on the black market.
During a recent court appearance, Gambaryan, who was brought to the court in a wheelchair, was ordered by Justice Emeka Nwite to be admitted to a hospital for 24 hours for a medical diagnosis and treatment.
This order came after his defense team provided a medical report indicating his declining health. However, the medical report was not submitted to the court, further complicating the situation.
Gambaryan’s trial has been adjourned until October 11, as his legal and health issues continue to unfold.
