Inside Nigeria
FG Drags Binance Chief to Court over Tax Evasion As Judge Adjourns Trial
The Federal Government has finally made good its decision to arraign Binance Holdings Limited and its two top officials, Tigran Gambaryan and the fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla in court on allegations bordering on tax evasion.
The company and its two executives are set for arraignment before Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja.
One of the defendants, Tigran Gambaryan, arrived at the court at 9:15 am on Thursday while his colleague, Anjarwalla was absent as he was said to be on the run.
The Federal High Court is still observing its Easter vacation and the trial judge is not a vacation judge but the Chief Judge of the court, Justice John Tsoho, granted the fiat that Justice Nwite handled the case, being a matter of dire National interest.
The defendants are facing a five-count charge of money laundering, and operating specialised businesses in Nigeria without a license.
Meanwhile, the Court has adjourned the tax evasion case.
The Federal Government dragged the crypto firm and its two top officials, Tigran Gambaryan and the fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla to court on allegations bordering on tax evasion.
Binance was charged in the lawsuit filed under the case number FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024 of failing to register with the FIRS in order to pay all applicable taxes.
The FIRS also alleged the firm neglected to send users invoices to calculate and pay their value-added taxes, even though it was providing taxable services on its trading platform.
The matter was adjourned following the FIRS’ inability to serve Gambaryan the charges as he was still in EFCC’s custody.