The trial of Binance Holdings Limited and its executives Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for an alleged money laundering case of $35,400,000 will take place on Thursday.
The EFCC formally charged Binance Holdings Limited, Gambaryan, and Anjarwalla with money laundering on 28 March.
Anjarwalla, who fled Nigeria and is now in hiding, will be prosecuted alongside Binance and Gambaryan in absentia.
Sources within the anti-graft agency confirmed that Anjarwalla will be extradited with the court warrant obtained by the EFCC for his arrest.
One of the sources revealed, “The EFCC has taken over the case and charged Binance, Gambaryan, and Anjarwalla with a $35,400,000 money laundering offense. The arraignment is set for 4 April, 2024″.
Another source mentioned that the EFCC is collaborating with INTERPOL, the FBI, the UK government, and Kenya to arrest and extradite Anjarwalla, the fugitive.
The EFCC has filed multiple counts of money laundering against Binance and its executives Anjarwalla and Gambaryan as part of their investigation into alleged financial misconduct by the company.
The charges, obtained from the Federal High Court of Nigeria in Abuja, include engaging in financial activities without proper licenses, unlawful foreign exchange transactions, and concealing the origin of illicit funds.
The Federal Government has issued an arrest warrant through INTERPOL for the apprehension of Anjarwalla who escaped from custody using a Kenyan passport.
Anjarwalla, a dual citizen of Britain and Kenya, left the country via a Middle Eastern airline while his accomplice remains in custody.
The escape of Anjarwalla raised concerns among security agencies, leading to the detention of the guards responsible for his supervision.
The Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA) confirmed the escape and stated that efforts are ongoing to capture the fugitive with the help of international partners.
Due to the ongoing investigations into Binance’s activities, the public is encouraged to provide any relevant information that could aid in the arrest of Anjarwalla.
Financial Times reported that the EFCC had detained two Binance executives in connection with the ban on their platform and requested data on their top users and transaction history.
