Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Rep. Ginger Onwusibe, has denied the allegations of bribery made against him by the Head of Financial Crime Compliance of Binance, Tigran Gambaryan.
Onwusibe, in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday, described Gambaryan’s claims as false, malicious and defamatory.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Gambaryan, who spent eight months in a Nigerian detention facility over alleged corruption, had named three members of the house who allegedly demanded a $150 million bribe from him.
Gambaryan had, in his verified X account on Friday, named Philip Agbese, Obinna Onwusibe and Peter Akpanke as the lawmakers who demanded the bribe from him.
NAN reports that one of the lawmakers, Agbese, had since denied Gambaryan’s allegations, calling on him to support his claims with evidence or face the consequences of his actions.
Onwusibe, in the statement on Saturday, said that his committee began investigating Binance after receiving a petition from a civil society organisation, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative.
He said that the petition alleged that Binance had engaged in financial and economic crimes which posed a threat to the Nigerian economy.
“In response, the committee invited Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng, to appear before a public hearing scheduled for Jan. 10, 2024.
“However, before that date, Binance requested a pre-hearing meeting to better understand the allegations against them,” he said.
Onwusibe stated that the committee agreed to the request and rescheduled the meeting for Jan. 8, 2024 at the National Assembly complex.
He said that because he would not be able to attend the meeting due to other official engagements, he delegated three members of the committee and a clerk to meet with the Binance six-member team, including a legal counsel.
The lawmaker said that the meeting was professional, transparent and ended on a cordial note, with no demands for any bribe.
“Despite agreeing to attend the public hearing, Binance’s CEO, Richard Teng, failed to appear on multiple occasions.
“Instead, the company sent legal representatives, a move the committee rejected. The hearing was postponed several times to accommodate Binance’s requests; neither Teng nor any other senior Binance executive attended,” he said.
Onwusibe said that Binance’s truancy raised serious concerns about its willingness to cooperate with Nigerian authorities.
“I was surprised to discover, through a May 7, 2024, blog post by Richard Teng, that Binance executives were also under investigation by Nigeria’s security agencies, including Department of State Services (DSS) and the Office of National Security Adviser (ONSA),” he said.
The lawmaker said that “Teng’s post, entitled: “Tigran Gambaryan is Innocent and Must Be Released”, contained defamatory claims against him.
“I instructed my lawyer, Nnamdi U. Nwokocha Ahaiwe, to demand an apology and damages. Binance, however, refused to retract the statements or offer any compensation,” he said.
Onwusibe said that he filed a suit against Binance and Tengat at the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory on Sept. 18, 2024, seeking an apology, a retraction and $3 billion in damages.
According to him, the case, which first came up for hearing on Jan. 22, is set to continue on Feb. 19.
The lawmaker, however, dismissed the latest allegations by Gambaryan, saying that they were desperate attempts by Binance to deflect attention from its own legal troubles.
He maintained that neither he nor his committee coordinated with Nigerian security agencies in their investigation of Binance.
The lawmaker also denied allegations that the DSS, ONSA, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) or Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU) were involved in the legislative probe.
He described Binance as a company with a troubling history of legal infractions in multiple countries.
The lawmaker particularly cited the case of Binance’s founder and former CEO, Changpeng Zhao, who, he said, was sentenced to four months in prison in the United States for financial crimes, including money laundering.
He also pointed to the company’s record fines in U.S.A., Canada, India and Uzbekistan for violating anti-money laundering and financial regulations.
Onwusibe lamented that many Nigerians were quick to believe Binance’s version of events without critically examining the facts.
He said the accusations had not only damaged his reputation but had also been used to mock his political party, Labour Party, and even his ethnic group.
Onwusibe, however, said that in spite of the attackes, he remained determined to clear his name.
While insisting on pursuing his lawsuit to its logical conclusion, the lawmaker said that he would also continue to defend the integrity of the Nigerian legislature.
He accused Binance and its executives of attempting to use media blackmail to escape accountability.
According to him, the company’s actions, including the alleged escape of one of its executives from Nigerian custody, have proved that it is acting in bad faith.
Onwusibe reiterated his interest in ensuring that Binance was held accountable for any financial misconduct.
He maintained that the committee’s investigation was conducted fairly and in line with its legislative duties.
The legislator advised Binance to go and face its case in court and stop blackmailing people.
