Dina Temple-Raston, host of the Click Here podcast, stated that Tigran Gambaryan, the head of financial crime compliance for the crypto exchange Binance, "is being held personally responsible" for the Nigerian government's accusations against Binance. Temple-Raston shared her statement in a July 30 post on X.
"The Binance executive is on trial in Nigeria and is being held personally responsible for charges leveled against the company," said Temple-Raston. "He has been in custody since February."
According to Temple-Raston, Gambaryan spent more than 10 years working for the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) before joining Binance. A resolution filed with the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee urged the Nigerian government to release him. The Nigerian government invited Gambaryan to participate in compliance discussions, but the meetings became "hostile," and Gambaryan was detained on Feb. 26. He was later charged with crimes including tax evasion and money laundering and transferred to Kuje Prison, "which is known for its harsh conditions." Nigerian government officials "admitted openly in court that Tigran is being tried in lieu of pursuing legal action against his employer." Gambaryan has tested positive for malaria and has not received adequate medical treatment.
CoinDesk reported that Gambaryan has been experiencing deteriorating health since he was moved to Kuje Prison. In addition to malaria, he has tested positive for pneumonia and now has a herniated disc that has left him "hardly able to walk." He had to be pushed into a Nigerian courtroom in a wheelchair on July 16. Prison officials have not complied with a Nigerian court order to release Gambaryan's medical records.
Cheta Nwanze, a Nigerian writer, said during an episode of the Nigerian Politics Weekly podcast that the Nigerian government is using Binance and Gambaryan as a "scapegoat" for the state of Nigeria's economy. "They're looking for scapegoats," Nwanze said. "The circumstances leading to those two guys' arrests paint a picture of a government in dire and sinking economic straits, and it's looking for a lifeline."
An April 30 report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that there is a heightened risk of "corruption, fraud, mismanagement or unauthorized use of U.S. aid funds" in Nigeria. The report noted that Nigeria faces risks including piracy, corruption, weapons and narcotics trafficking, "misrule," and armed banditry, resulting in "serious social, economic, and security challenges" that undermine the Nigerian government's legitimacy. The report stated there is "widespread and complex corruption" impacting Nigeria's political and security sectors, including instances of extortion.
Temple-Raston serves as host and managing editor of the Click Here podcast, according to Recorded Future News. She formerly worked as a member of NPR's investigations team and previously hosted the What Were You Thinking podcast.
