The health of Tigran Gambaryan, a detained Binance executive facing money laundering charges in Nigeria, has worsened while in prison, his wife reported on Monday.
Two Binance executives, Tigran Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and head of financial crime compliance, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, a British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa, along with Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, have been charged with laundering over $35 million.
Binance is also facing separate charges of tax evasion, which both the company and Gambaryan have denied. Meanwhile, Nadeem Anjarwalla fled Nigeria before the trial began.
In a statement, Gambaryan’s wife, Yuki, expressed grave concern for his deteriorating health, stating that his herniated disc has worsened to the extent that it could cause permanent damage and impair his ability to walk.
Yuki Gambaryan revealed that her husband has been denied access to his lawyers since July 26. The Nigerian Correctional Service did not respond to inquiries about the situation.
Binance announced in March that it would halt all transactions and trading in Nigeria’s local currency following a nationwide crackdown on crypto exchanges, which authorities claimed were increasing demand for U.S. dollars on the black market.
Last month, trial judge Emeka Nwite ordered a medical report after Gambaryan appeared in court in a wheelchair from Kuje Maximum Security Prison, but the report has yet to be submitted.
The judge ordered Gambaryan to be admitted to a hospital for 24 hours for medical evaluation and treatment, and the trial was postponed until October 11.
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