Andy Greenberg, author of "Tracers in the Dark," said that the Nigerian government held Binance employee Tigran Gambaryan "illegally" after inviting him to Nigeria for compliance meetings. Greenberg shared his statement during a podcast episode on October 1.
"I think it's fair to say there was some scapegoating here, and Nigeria essentially summoned or invited Binance here to come negotiate some sort of settlement," said Greenberg. "Tigran was invited by the Nigerian government, and this was his job in many cases, to be an emissary to governments and law enforcement on Binance's behalf. His passport was taken from him, and he was essentially held illegally as a prisoner, or you could say a hostage."
According to CoinDesk, Gambaryan was invited by Nigerian government officials to travel to Abuja in February to participate in compliance discussions. Nigerian authorities accused Binance of devaluing the naira and placed Gambaryan under house arrest. He was later charged with financial crimes and transferred to Kuje prison, where his health has reportedly declined. He contracted malaria in May and collapsed in court; by June, he was pushed into a courtroom in a wheelchair. His wife has expressed concerns about his risk of "permanent damage" unless he receives proper medical treatment due to a herniated disc.
Two U.S. Congressmen introduced a resolution in July urging the Nigerian government to release Gambaryan. The resolution claims that Gambaryan was held "without Nigerian legal basis" between March 12 and April 5 after the court order allowing his detention for fourteen days expired. On March 20, "the Chief Court 1 of the Magistrate Court of the Federal Capital Territory (Abuja, Nigeria) stated that 'the remand order has not been extended', despite adjourning to April 5, 2024, for a ruling," according to the Congressmen's resolution. Gambaryan was not charged with a crime until April 5 and has since been denied appropriate access to his legal team.
The Digital Chamber, a U.S. blockchain industry advocacy group, described Gambaryan's detention as "a distressing breach of international law," according to its website post. The Chamber labeled it as "a state-sponsored kidnapping," noting that Gambaryan was invited to Nigeria "under false pretenses." The organization warned that such circumstances set a dangerous precedent for American businessmen abroad, particularly those in the cryptocurrency sector.
Gambaryan joined Binance in September 2021, according to Binance's website. Previously, he spent ten years as a special agent for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS), where he investigated cases involving national security and other serious crimes during his award-winning career.
Greenberg is noted as an award-winning author on Amazon for his book "Tracers in the Dark," which details the work of Gambaryan and other investigators who have tracked down criminals using cryptocurrency for illicit purposes.
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