Tigran Gambaryan, the head of financial crime at Binance, has accused three Nigerian lawmakers of demanding a $150 million bribe. He made these claims in a social media post, providing details about when and how the alleged demand took place.
Binance Official’s Detention in Nigeria
According to Afriksblog, Gambaryan, along with another Binance executive, was detained by the Nigerian government. Authorities accused Binance of money laundering and facilitating criminal activities in the country. His release came only after the U.S. government intervened, leading to the withdrawal of charges against him.
During his time in detention, Gambaryan stated that certain lawmakers sought bribes from him. He claimed they wanted the money in exchange for halting his arrest and prosecution.
Names of Lawmakers Revealed
On Friday, Gambaryan took to X (formerly Twitter) to publicly name the lawmakers involved. He identified them as Peter Akpanke, Philip Agbese, and Ginger Obinna Onwusibe.
Interestingly, Onwusibe serves as the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Anti-Corruption, while Agbese holds the position of deputy spokesperson for the House.
Despite these serious allegations, the lawmakers have yet to respond. However, in previous statements, the House of Representatives has denied ever demanding bribes from Binance or its executives.
Gambaryan’s Account of the Alleged Bribe Request
Gambaryan detailed the events leading up to the alleged bribery demand. He mentioned that Nigeria’s Department of State Services (DSS) was involved in discussions related to Binance’s dealings with the House of Representatives.
“We met with the DSS at their office on Friday, January 5, 2024. This was a necessary step before our scheduled meeting with the House of Representatives,” he explained. “The DSS indicated that we had to comply with whatever instructions the House members gave us.”
At the House of Representatives meeting, three lawmakers were reportedly present. Gambaryan recalled that two of them were Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese, both under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe. The third member, he said, remained unnamed as he could not remember his identity.
According to Gambaryan, the lawmakers staged a deceptive setup. “They arranged fake cameras and media to make it look like an official meeting. However, the cameras weren’t even connected,” he claimed. “In the end, they demanded a $150 million bribe, to be paid in cryptocurrency directly into their personal wallets. It was a completely fraudulent operation.”
Lack of Concrete Evidence
Despite the serious nature of his accusations, Gambaryan did not present any documentary evidence to support his claims. As of now, PREMIUM TIMES has not independently verified the truthfulness of his allegations.
Efforts are being made to contact the lawmakers for their response, but no official statements have been released yet.
