By Kenny Folowosele, Abuja
The money laundering charges preferred against Binance Holdings Limited and two of its executives, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla have been adjourned till May 17 for continuation of trial.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja made the pronouncement yesterday
At the proceedings, counsel to the defendant, Tony Krukrubo, had informed the court that he was yet to be served the additional proof of evidence.
In his defence the court bailiff told the Judge that efforts made by him to serve Gambaryan, the documents in Kuje prison on April 30, were met with vehement refusal by the authorities in charge.
He added that Gambaryan had told him to serve the documents on the first defendant’s (Binance Holdings Limited) lawyer since the first defendant now has legal representation of its own.
At that point, the trial Judge, then ordered that Binance’s counsel be served the documents in court.
After the exchange of service as directed by Justice Nwite, the matter was subsequently adjourned.
The judge held, “This matter will now be adjourned till May 17 for trial” Justice Nwite said.
Gambaryan, through his counsel, Mark Mordi (SAN) had tried to convince the court why he should be granted bail.
Among others, Mordi argued that his client has been in custody for more than 50 days in a foreign land without visits from family members, insisting that his client doesn’t pose a flight risk as stated by the prosecution.
“He can’t go anywhere, they (EFCC) have his passport. Already, being here unable to go meet his family is enough torture.
“The proof of service does not contain one document that incriminates my client. I dare him (complainant) to bring it out let’s see,” Mordi said.
Dismissing the arguments, the prosecution counsel, Emeka Iheanacho, however, urged the court to not only refuse Gambaryan’s bail request but transfer him from Kuje prison to EFCC custody to prevent him from escaping.
Iheanacho contended that Gambaryan posed a flight risk just like his counterpart Anjarwalla.
He also told the court that the defendant had attempted to secure a new international passport from the embassy of the United States of America in the pretence that his own was missing when he knew all along it was with them.
He further told the court that the defendant is a dual citizen of two nationalities, saying he is an American and Armenian by birth.
Gambaryan, his company, Binance Holdings Limited, and Anjarwalla, a fellow Binance top executive currently on the run were arrested and detained by the federal government over alleged terrorism financing and involvement of their firm in money laundering to the tune of $35m.
All three defendants in the suit were said to have conspired amongst themselves to conceal CTT the origin of their financial proceeds from their alleged unlawful activities in Nigeria.
