The scheduled arraignment of Binance Holdings Limited and two of its executives for alleged tax evasion has faced a delay as one of the executives claimed they hadn’t been served with the charge sheet.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), responsible for prosecuting the case, expressed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had denied the court bailiff access to the detained Binance executive.
The two executives facing charges, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, were accompanied by the firm. Unfortunately, Anjarwalla was absent from the court proceedings on Thursday, and Gambaryan, who was in EFCC custody, could not be served with the charge sheet. Moses Ideh, the lawyer representing FIRS, informed the court about the issue, stating, “My Lord, we have not been able to serve a copy of the charge on the second defendant. We mobilized the court bailiff to serve the second defendant, but he was denied access, too.”
As a result, an oral application was made by FIRS to serve the charge sheet on Gambaryan in the courtroom through his lawyer, Chukwuka Ikwuazo (SAN). Ikwuazo did not object to the application, leading Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja to grant the request. Following this, the FIRS lawyer requested an adjournment to allow Ikwuazo sufficient time to study the charges and prepare a defense for his client.
Justice Nwite ruled in favor of the adjournment instead of a stand-down, stating, “In the light that he has just been served, he should be allowed time to study the charges. The matter is hereby adjourned till April 19 for arraignment.”
According to the charge marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, FIRS alleges that Binance Holdings Limited evaded taxes by failing to register with the agency. Additionally, the FIRS claims that the firm did not issue invoices to subscribers on its trading platform for the purpose of determining and paying value-added taxes on taxable services offered.
In related news, the Inspector General of Police, Olukayode Egbetokun, assured journalists that the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) would soon re-arrest Nadeem Anjarwalla, the Binance Regional Africa Manager who had escaped from custody in Nigeria. Egbetokun made this statement during a press conference at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the EFCC money laundering charges against Binance Holdings Limited and its officials were adjourned until April 8. Justice Nwite postponed the matter after hearing submissions from both parties regarding the service of the charge on Binance Holdings Limited.