A Nigerian judge will hear a money laundering case involving Binance and two of its executives next week, following a successful request by defense lawyers to bring the hearing forward.
The accused, U.S. citizen Tigran Gambaryan, head of financial crime compliance, and British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa Nadeem Anjarwalla, face charges of laundering over $35 million.
Facing tax evasion accusations alongside money laundering charges, Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has denied the allegations.
Gambaryan, one of the accused executives, has been in detention since February, with his health reportedly declining.
His wife, Yuki Gambaryan, has called on the Nigerian government to drop the charges and urged U.S. authorities to intervene.
Meanwhile, co-accused Anjarwalla fled the country before the trial began.
The upcoming court hearing, initially set for October 11, has been rescheduled to September 2.
Nigeria has attributed its currency’s decline to Binance, as the platform became a key venue for naira trading amid severe dollar shortages.
In March, Binance announced it would cease all naira transactions after a nationwide crackdown on crypto exchanges, which authorities accused of fueling a foreign exchange black market.
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