Tax Evasion Allegedly: FIRS Takes Action to Press Charges Against Fleeing Binance Executive
An application by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to serve the charge against Nadeem Anjarwalla, a key executive of Binance Holdings Limited who escaped from detention while awaiting trial, has been set for May 17th in the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The defendant who has been available since the matter began, Tigran Gambaryan, has been the subject of speculation from Moses Ideho, counsel to FIRS, who hinted at steps to serve the charge on the fleeing defendant.
Binance is the first defendant in this case, and this comes days after Justice Emeka Nwite, the presiding judge, decided that it was appropriate to serve the accusation on Gambaryan.
The prosecution was successful in having the defendant appointed as an attorney for the cryptocurrency exchange, and the judge agreed.
The judge adjourned the case to rule on the form of service after the defendant’s lawyer, Chukwuka Ikwazuonu, argued that it was improper to serve his client with a criminal accusation against another defendant.
Anjarwalla managed to evade the National Security Adviser’s (NSA) arrest last month.
The federal government’s investigation into Binance’s operations in Nigeria included him as a suspect.
According to the NSA Office, Nadeem Anjarwalla, a suspect in the continuing criminal investigation into Binance’s actions in Nigeria, escaped from lawful custody on Friday, March 22, 2024.
Together with other relevant security agencies, MDAs, and the international community, the Office of the NSA wasted no time in acting upon the report in order to capture the perpetrator.
Reports indicate that Mr. Anjarwalla escaped from Nigeria with a passport that was smuggled, according to preliminary investigations.
“The individuals in charge of the suspect’s custody have been taken into custody, and an exhaustive investigation is continuing to determine how he managed to evade legal imprisonment.”
Anjarwalla, the Africa Regional Manager for Binance and a dual citizen of Kenya and the United Kingdom, was on trial in Nigerian courts until he escaped.
A judge had ordered the suspect’s remand for 14 days, but he escaped. His next appearance has been set for April 4, 2024, by the court.