The Federal High Court in Abuja has postponed the trial in the money laundering case involving Binance Holdings Limited and two of its executives, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, until May 17.
Tony Krukrubo’s attorney told the court during today’s proceedings that he had not yet received the additional proof of evidence.
Nonetheless, the court bailiff informed the judge that despite his best attempts, Gambaryan vehemently refused to accept the service when he was served the documents on April 30 at Kuje prison.
He continued by saying that since the first defendant (Binance Holdings Limited) now has its own attorney, Gambaryan had instructed him to serve the documents on its behalf.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite, gave the order to serve the documents to Binance’s attorney in court.
Following the service, the matter was subsequently adjourned.
The judge said, “This matter will now be adjourned till May 17 for trial”.
Recall that on April 23, the Federal High Court Abuja scheduled a ruling on Gambaryan’s request for May 17 after hearing arguments from both his and the prosecution’s attorneys.
Gambaryan attempted to persuade the court that he should be granted bail through the representation of Mark Mordi (SAN).
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Mordi argued, among other things, that it is difficult for him to have a client who has been detained for more than 50 years in a foreign country without receiving visits from family.
He further argued that he’s client doesn’t pose flight risk as stated by the prosecution.
“He can’t go anywhere, they (EFCC) have his passport. Already, being here unable to go meet his family is enough torture.
“The proof of service does not contain one document that incriminates my client. I dare him (complainant) to bring it out let’s see,” he stated.
However, in order to keep Gambaryan from escaping, the prosecution’s attorney, Emeka Iheanacho, urged the court to deny Gambaryan’s request for bail and move him from Kuje prison to EFCC custody.
Iheanacho asserted that, like Anjarwalla, Gambaryan presented a flight risk.
Additionally, he informed the court that the defendant had made an attempt to obtain a new international passport from the US Embassy under the false pretense that his own had vanished.
He also informed the court that the defendant holds dual citizenship. born in America but of Armenian descent.
The Federal Government detained and arrested Gambaryan, his company Binance Holdings Limited, and Anjarwalla, a top executive who is currently evading capture, over allegations that their company laundered $35 million in funds.
The three defendants in the lawsuit were charged with working together to hide where the money from their purported illegal activities in Nigeria originated.
