Vice President of Global Intelligence and Investigations of the cryptocurrency #exchange Binance Tigran Gambarian left Nigeria after eight months in detention. This was announced to CoinDesk by representatives of his family.
CEO of the trading platform #RichardTeng commented on the release of his colleague.
"We are deeply relieved and grateful that Tigran Ghambaryan has finally been released after nearly eight months of detention in Nigeria. His health and well-being remain our top priority and we are grateful that he can now get the medical care and rest he so desperately needs with his family,” he said.
Teng emphasized that Binance remains committed to working with global regulators to ensure compliance and transparency in the evolving digital asset space.
"With a young, tech-savvy population and a strong interest in digital finance, Nigeria is well positioned to utilize blockchain technology to address economic and social challenges. We look forward to playing a constructive role in these efforts,” the exchange chief added.
Earlier, the Nigerian authorities dropped all charges against Tigran Gambarian, releasing him to receive medical treatment abroad. At the same time, the court did not issue an acquittal, as the consideration of the case on the merits never took place.
At the moment Binance Holdings Limited is the only defendant on charges of money laundering and currency speculation totaling up to $34.4 million. Tax evasion is imputed to the company in a separate case.
Recall, Gambaryan and the director of Binance in West and East Africa Nadim Anjarwalla were detained in Nigeria in February after a meeting with the authorities of the country. The latter managed to escape to Kenya.
Gambaryan has been held at the Kuje Correctional Center in Abuja since his arraignment in April. Due to the conditions of detention, his physical health has deteriorated dramatically. The top manager suffers from a herniated disc as well as bouts of pneumonia, malaria and tonsillitis.
The court has twice refused to release Gambaryan on bail.
