Detained Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan, has accused the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, and the Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of violating his fundamental human rights.
In an originating motion marked FHC/ABJ/CS/356/24, filed before Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja, the detained Binance executive sought a declaration that his detention and seizure of his international travel passport contravened Section 35 (1) and (4) of the 1999 Constitution (As Amended).
He urged the court to order the NSA and EFCC to release him from their custody and return his international travel passport with immediate effect.
Gambaryan sought an order of court restraining the respondents and agents from further detaining him concerning any investigation into or demands from Binance.
He, however, urged the court to order the respondents to issue a public apology to him.
Gambaryan stated that he was in Nigeria alongside fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla to honour the invitation of the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and EFCC to discuss issues relating to Binance in Nigeria.
He stated that he didn’t commit any offence during the meeting, nor was he informed in writing of any offence he committed in Nigeria at any other time.
“The only reason for my detention is because the government is requesting information from Binance and making demands on the company,” he added.
At the proceedings on Thursday, T.J. Krukrubo (SAN) appeared for the plaintiffs, while the respondent had no representation.
Krukrubo informed the court that the respondents were served two days ago.
The trial judge, Justice Inyang Ekwo, adjourned the matter until April 8.
In another development, April 4, 2024, has been fixed as an arraignment date for Binance Holdings Limited and its officials, Tigran Gambaryan and fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla, on allegations of tax evasion.
The date was contained in the hearing notice sent to the parties involved in the matter.
On Monday, the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) filed four charges against the company and its officials bordering on tax evasion.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, the service accused Binance of failing to register with the FIRS to pay all relevant taxes administered by the service.
The FIRS also alleged that while the defendants were offering taxable services to subscribers on their trading platform, they failed to issue invoices to those subscribers to determine payment of their value-added tax.
The company and its executives were further accused of offering services to subscribers on their trading platform in buying and selling cryptocurrencies and in remittance and transferring those assets. Having offered those services, FIRS said they were obliged to deduct VAT but failed to do so.
The offences were said to be punishable under Sections 8 and 29 of the VAT Act of 1993 (As Amended), Section 40 of the FIRS Establishment Act of 2007 (As Amended) and Section 94 of the Companies Income Tax Act (As Amended) respectively.
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