Nigerian House of Representatives Denies Binance CEO’s Bribery Claims, Vows to Take ‘Decisive Action’

In a social media post on Tuesday, May 7, Teng accused certain members of the House’s Committee on Financial Crimes of soliciting money from Binance representatives during a meeting at the National Assembly Complex in January. He further stated that his team was later approached by unidentified individuals suggesting a payment to resolve the allegations.

During today’s plenary session on May 8, 2024, Kama NkemKanma, a member of the House Committee on Financial Crimes, vehemently refuted Teng’s claims. He stated, “We have never invited this person before. This House has never had a meeting with this person before.”

Speaker Abbas Tajudeen echoed NkemKanma’s denial, emphasizing that no committee had engaged with Teng. He instructed the House Clerk, Yahaya Danzaria, to utilize available media channels to reject the allegations, underscoring the House’s zero-tolerance policy towards such accusations.

However, these assertions appear to contradict previous reports by local media outlet PREMIUM TIMES, which documented multiple interactions between the House Committee and Binance representatives.

In March 2024, the Nigerian Government initiated a lawsuit against Binance and two of its executives, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, alleging violations of local tax regulations and other offences. Gambaryan and Anjarwalla were previously detained by local authorities upon their arrival in February 2024 following a request for discussions on regulatory compliance by the Government. Anjarwalla reportedly escaped custody and subsequently filed a lawsuit against the authorities, seeking the return of his passport, the release of his colleague, and a public apology.

RELATED: 

• Nigerian Court Adjourns the Case Against Binance Executives as Authorities Failed to Serve the Charges Properly

• Binance to Nigerian Government: Detained Executive Has No Decision-Making Authority in the Company

The legislators also resolved to investigate the circumstances surrounding Anjarwalla’s escape from custody. This resolution follows a motion of urgent public importance initiated by Representative Dennis Okafor during the plenary session, coming less than 24 hours after Binance CEO Richard Teng’s accusations and statement demanding the release of its second detained executive.

If you want to read more news articles like this, visit DeFi Planet and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and CoinMarketCap Community.

“Take control of your crypto portfolio with MARKETS PRO, DeFi Planet’s suite of analytics tools.”