Alleged money laundering: Binance executive slumps during court proceeding

There was a mid-drama ensued on Thursday at a federal high court in Abuja after Tigran Gambaryan, Binance’s head of financial crime compliance, slumped in open court.

The Informant247 gathered that Gambaryan, who sat behind in the courtroom, did not proceed to the dock immediately as expected when the registrar called the matter but later stood to approach the dock when Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, asked where the 2nd defendant (Gambaryan) was.

The Binance executive was assisted by one of the defence lawyers as he walked towards the dock; however, he slumped before he got there.

Gambaryan was later assisted up and made to sit in the front row.

Explaining to the judge, Mark Mordi, Gambaryan’s counsel, said his client was ill, and a letter had been filed to notify the court of his health.

“My lord, the case may not certainly proceed today,” the lawyer added.

Gambaryan and Binance are standing trial over money laundering allegations.

On May 17, the court refused to grant bail to Gambaryan because the defendant was likely to “jump bail if granted to him”.