Report: Nigerian lawmaker sues Binance executive for alleged bribery

Tigran Gambaryan, an executive at Binance, is facing a defamation lawsuit amounting to $662,000 filed by Nigerian lawmaker Philip Agbese, who refutes allegations of bribery.

Philip Agbese, a Nigerian lawmaker, has initiated a defamation lawsuit for 1 billion Nigerian Naira (approximately $662,000) against Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan due to allegations of bribery, as reported by the local news outlet Vanguard.

The lawsuit, filed in the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja, asserts that Gambaryan wrongly associated Agbese with corruption, according to the report. Agbese vehemently denies the accusations and is seeking a court ruling declaring the statements defamatory. The suit also calls for a public apology, an injunction against future claims, and 1 billion Nigerian Naira in damages. Moreover, Agbese seeks an additional 5 million Nigerian Naira to cover legal expenses.

According to Vanguard, the case focuses on statements made by Gambaryan, alleging that Agbese and two other lawmakers attempted to solicit a bribe of $150 million through cryptocurrency transactions.

Agbese’s legal representatives argue that Gambaryan’s statements were “false, malicious, and aimed at tarnishing” Agbese’s reputation, as stated in the report. The Nigerian lawmaker maintains that he has never held a cryptocurrency account or engaged in digital transactions. Crypto.news reached out to a communications agency representing Gambaryan’s family and will update the story pending a response.

Gambaryan, who is a U.S. citizen, was arrested along with British-Kenyan Nadeem Anjarwalla by Nigerian law enforcement in February 2023. They were apprehended at an airport in Abuja after authorities requested Binance representatives to come to the capital. Following their arrest, all naira and peer-to-peer services on Binance in Nigeria were suspended.

After spending eight months in detention, Gambaryan was released by a Nigerian court when the government dropped the money laundering charges against him.