Tigran Gambaryan, executive of Binance Holdings Limited, accused three Nigerian federal lawmakers of demanding $150 million in bribes in a dispute between cryptocurrency companies and the Nigerian government.
Gambaryan claims lawmakers demand payments in cryptocurrency and deposit them into their personal digital wallet.
The administrator was detained by the Nigerian government from February 2024 to October 2024. He and Binance’s regional manager of Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were arrested in February 2024 after traveling to Nigeria to meet with government officials.
The federal government accused the second-hand foreign exchange (FX) rate and had a negative impact on the Nigerian economy. Anjarwalla later escaped from the detention center in March 2024, leaving Gambaryan alone in facing the prosecution.
In an article on social media platform X on Friday, Gambaryan revealed that he and Anjarwalla initially met with Ministry of State Services (DSS) officials in January 2024 to This is a prerequisite for meeting with members of the House. He claimed that DSS recommended that they comply with any requirements required by the MP.
“At the House meeting, three members were present. They set up fake cameras and media to make the meeting look formal, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in,” Gambaria wrote.
“You probably already know that this is the personal wallet they asked for a $150 million bribe to pay to their cryptocurrency. Mickey Mouse is the best.”
In May 2024, Binance CEO Richard Teng also claimed that unidentified people in Nigeria demanded $150 million in digital currency to resolve the company’s legal troubles in the country.
The Nigerian government has denied the allegations, accusing second-hand attempts to blackmail the country.
