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Two US Members of Congress, Representative French Hill (Republican) and Representative Chrissy Houlahan (Democrat), visited detained American citizen Tigran Gambaryan.
The US lawmakers visited the Binance executive at the Kuje Detention facility on Wednesday, June 19 2024 and posted a video on social media calling for his release.
Hill, via his official X handle, wrote, “Yesterday, @RepHoulahan and I visited with US citizen Tigran Gambaryan in Kuje Prison in Nigeria. We found him suffering from the conditions there, as he has malaria and double pneumonia, and he reports that he has lost significant weight. Even worse, he’s being denied access to adequate medical attention.
“Although I am pleased that Nigeria dropped tax evasion charges against Tigran on 6/14, it’s my view that he’s being wrongfully detained on charges related to money laundering.
“Tigran has devoted his professional life to fighting money laundering and tax evasion, having spent ten years as an IRS Special Agent where he successfully led cyber and financial crime investigations.
“Further, at the time of his arrest, he was working as a contract employee at Binance and was instrumental in criminal investigations and compliance in cooperation with Nigerian authorities.
“On 6/4, I joined a letter with@RepMcCormick and 16 other colleagues to @POTUS, @SecBlinken, and @StateSPEHA urging for Tigran’s immediate release. Two days later, over 100 former federal prosecutors and agents wrote to @SecBlinken further urging @StateDept to use all means available to secure his release.
Tigran must be immediately granted a humanitarian release, the remaining charges dropped, and he must return home to America where he belongs.”
In the video, Houlahan said, “We did find pretty difficult conditions… he was under clearly a lot of stress, and his health is not very good.”
She continued that she hopes “we will be able to put the full force of America behind us to make sure that he is returned home safely.”
EFCC trial continues as wife of Binance executive pleas for mercy
Meanwhile, On Thursday, June 20, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) proceeded with its money laundering case against Tigran Gambaryan, an executive at Binance Holdings Ltd, in a Federal High Court in Abuja.
Despite the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) withdrawing its tax evasion charge against Gambaryan and Binance, Justice Emeka Nwite continued to hear the case.
The EFCC has levelled a five-count charge against Binance and Gambaryan, while the FIRS had initially filed a four-count charge against them.
Reacting to this development, Yuki Gambaryan, wife of Tigran, appealed to the anti-graft agency to drop the charges against her husband.
In an official statement, she said, “Since the FIRS charges were dropped last week and they agreed to serve those charges solely on Binance, I do not see why the EFCC cannot do the same. It is time for the Nigerian authorities to do the right thing and let my innocent husband go.
"I am also once again calling on the US government to intervene more forcefully. Tigran’s and my own tax dollars get sent to Nigeria in aid every year. Nigeria is supposed to be an ally. I refuse to believe that our State Department cannot do more to have an innocent American citizen released.”