Thursday’s scheduled proceeding on the trial of the detained Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, at the Federal High Court Abuja quickly took a dramatic turn following the defendant’s collapse.
Shortly after the matter was called upon by the court registrar for continuation of trial, the defendant did not step forward to the dock.
He remained seated at the back as usual.
Curious, the trial Judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, asked where the second defendant (Gambaryan) was.
One of the lawyers in the defence team, who sat beside Gambaryan, assisted him by the side while holding his hand towards the dock.
As they walked slowly to the dock, Gambaryan slumped and the lawyer assisted him to sit in the front row seat.
His lawyer, Mark Mordi told the court that Gambaryan “has been indisposed and a written application letter had been filed to notify the court of this.
“My lord, the case may not certainly proceed today”, Mordi, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said.
All through the proceeding, Gambaryan rested on the arm of the chair where he sat.
It was reported that Gambaryan was absent for his arraignment in the tax evasion charge filed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service against him, his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla (currently on the run), and their Crypto-exchange firm, Binance Holdings Limited.
His absence stalled the arraignment.
Meanwhile, at the last sitting, Justice Nwite had dismissed Gambaryan’s bail application on the ground that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had been able to establish that he posed a flight risk in the same manner as Anjarwalla.
Gambaryan, Anjarwalla, and Binance Holdings Limited are facing money laundering and terrorism financing charges, brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
He is currently being remanded at Kuje Correctional Centre.
