- U.S. President Joe Biden has thanked Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu for the country releasing Tigran Gambaryan
- Gambaryan was released last week on medical grounds following eight months in custody
- President Biden also thanked his counterpart for the country’s work on crypto crime
Outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden has thanked his Nigerian counterpart for assisting with the release of Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan. In a recent phone call, President Biden thanked President Bola Tinubu for “securing the release on humanitarian grounds” of the compliance chief eight months after his arrest. All the charges were dropped against Gambaryan last week, allowing him to leave the country and seek medical help for a herniated disc and malaria.
Eight Months Under Arrest
Gambaryan was arrested in Febraury as part of Binance’s troubles in Nigeria, where the government accused the company of facilitating financial crimes and destabilizing currency values. The Nigerian Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) charged Gambaryan and Binance with laundering $35.4 million and manipulating exchange rates.
His detention conditions worsened after being moved from house arrest to the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja, with health concerns further heightened by a suspected case of malaria and a herniated disc. Family members sought medical intervention on his behalf, but his bail requests were denied, largely due to the escape of his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla.
President Biden Praises Nigeria’s Crypto Work
In response to Gambaryan’s critical health issues, the EFCC decided to drop the charges against him to allow him to seek medical treatment abroad, leading to President Biden thanking President Bola Tinubu personally for his intervention and the country’s slightly overzealous work on crypto regulation:
In particular, President Biden expressed appreciation for cooperation on law enforcement, including through the recently announced Bilateral Liaison Group on Illicit Finance and Cryptocurrencies, for collaboration on new and innovative technologies, and on shared interests in reforming international organizations to reflect African voices.
Gambaryan’s whereabouts are currently unknown, although he is expected to return to his family soon after seeking medical treatment.
