Richard Weber, former chief of the Internal Revenue Service's Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), has called on the U.S. government to exert pressure on Nigeria for the release of Tigran Gambaryan, a former IRS-CI agent. Weber made this statement during a podcast on October 3.
"The U.S. government should do everything in their power to get him out and bring him home to his wife, Yuki, and his two young children," said Weber. "They need to - and they have the authority to do this under the Levinson Act - they need to characterize him as a 'U.S. citizen wrongfully detained.' Tigran is a hostage. He did nothing wrong."
According to CoinDesk, Gambaryan, who is currently the head of financial crime compliance at cryptocurrency exchange Binance, was invited by Nigerian officials to Abuja in February for compliance discussions. However, he was accused by Nigerian authorities of devaluing the naira and subsequently placed under house arrest. Gambaryan faced charges of financial crimes and was transferred to Kuje prison, where his health reportedly deteriorated. He contracted malaria in May and collapsed in court; by June, he required a wheelchair due to a herniated disc in his back. His wife expressed concerns about "permanent damage" if he does not receive appropriate medical care.
The Block reported that Gambaryan was denied bail for a second time on October 11. His family argued that there is "clear evidence of medical requirement" for his release so he can access necessary treatment. In addition to the herniated disc, Gambaryan has suffered from malaria, pneumonia, and tonsillitis during his incarceration.
During a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on September 18, U.S. Representative Rich McCormick said that Gambaryan's situation meets the criteria for 'wrongful detention.' McCormick questioned why the case had not been elevated to the Office of the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. He said, "I’m going to call him a hostage because he was arrested after being lured there... Why is the State Department leadership not elevating Tigran’s case?"
Andrew Adams, a former official with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), suggested ceasing discretionary fund sharing with Nigeria as leverage for Gambaryan's release. In an opinion piece authored by Adams, he said: "As a discretionary program, the DOJ, Treasury and the State Department are all empowered to cease these transfers... They should do so here."
Weber served as chief of IRS-CI under the U.S. Treasury Department from 2012 to 2017 and has held positions at Deutsche Bank and New York State Department of Financial Services. He is currently a partner at Winston & Strawn law firm.
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