A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has discharged executives of the cryptocurrency exchange platform Binance, Tigran Gambaryan and fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla.
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The duo were dragged to court by the Federal Inland Revenue Service over alleged tax evasion.
In a ruling on Friday, the court released both executives following fresh amended charges filed by the FIRS in view of a notice from Binance about its appointment of a Nigerian representative, Ayodele Omotilewa.
Recall that Gambaryan and fleeing Anjarwalla are facing a four-count charge by the Nigerian government brought before the court, a case now before the trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite.
Even though Binance had no legal representation in court, Gambaryan took to the dock to have the charges read to him.
But his counsel, Chukwuka Ikwazuonu, notified the court that his client had not been served with the charge, stating that it was too hasty to have him taken to the dock without knowing what his client was about to be tried for.
The prosecutor from the FIRS, Moses Ideho, informed the judge that service of the charge hadn’t been possible due to lack of access to the defendant in custody.
This prompted the court to order service of the charge on the defendant in open court.
Following this, the judge adjourned till April 19 for the arraignment of Gambaryan.
In the second case by the anti-graft agency, the EFCC, through its counsel, E.E. Iheanacho, informed the court that he had served Gambaryan with the charge.
However, the counsel for the defendant, Mark Mordi, said Binance, the company he represents, hasn’t been served, and therefore, arraignment couldn’t go ahead.
Moreso, as it’s a joint charge, Mordi argued that it’s necessary to serve every person individually with the charges before the case can go ahead. He also informed the Court that his client declined service of the charge on behalf of Binance because he wasn’t authorized to do so.
The prosecutor, however, maintained that the defendant, being a top official of Binance, was a fitting representative of the company in this particular instance.
But stated that in the alternative, however, the Court can enter a not-guilty plea for Binance to allow the case go ahead.
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