From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, has said that cryptocurrency firm, Binance, has resorted to blackmail against the House, so as to escape accountability.
The chairman, House Committee on Financial Crimes, Ginger Onwusibe, stated this, in a statement, on Saturday. He said the committee, which commenced a probe of Binance, in January , 2024, never demanded bribe from the firm.
Onwusibe, who was reacting to the latest allegation by an executive of Binance, Tigran Gambaryan, linking him to alleged demand of $150 million by lawmakers, said the claims are
“claims as false, malicious, and defamatory.”
The lawmaker explained that following a blog post by Binance Managing Director,
Richard Teng, impugning on his integrity
last year, he filed a lawsuit against the company, which still ongoing.
According to him, “in December 2023, my committee received a Petition from a CSO/NGO, the Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative alleging multiple financial and economic crimes and irregularities perpetrated by Binance against the Nigerian economy and State.
Onwusibe, explained that after his committee invited Binance, over the petition, Teng, through a representative, reached out to the panel to agree on a convenient date. And January 10 ,2024 was agreed for the company to appear at the investigative hearing.
Furthermore, he explained that based on Binance’s for a pre-hearing meeting to enable them gain deeper insights into the allegations to enable them prepare adequately for the hearing, January 8,2024 was fixed for the meeting.
“On the 8th day of January 2024, I was unavoidably absent from Abuja, Federal Capital Territory on assignment in another State with another Committee of the House of Representatives of which I am member. I therefore delegated three members of the Committee and a Clerk, to meet with a six-member team representing Binance at the pre-Hearing meeting which included Counsel to Binance.
At the Pre-Hearing meeting which held in the premises of the National Assembly Complex, Three Arms Zone, Abuja, detailed facts on the allegations against Binance as contained in the aforesaid Petition, was made available to them to assist them in preparing for the Public Hearing scheduled for the 10th day of January 2024.
The meeting was open, transparent and ended on a cordial note. No solicitation or demands of any type was made by representatives of the Committee to the Binance and/or their representatives at the meeting.
“The specific allegation made by Mr. Richard Teng and Binance initially was that demands for bribes were made by “unknown persons” after they had left the pre-Hearing meeting. This is contrary to the allegation now made by Mr. Gambaryan today that demands for bribes were made during the meeting allegedly held in a room/office equipped with ‘fake’ cameras and microphones.
“Having refused to appear before a validly and lawfully scheduled Congressional Public Hearing and also facilitated the escape of its staff from the lawful custody of Nigerian Security Agencies, Binance and several of its staff, particularly, Mr. Richard Teng and Mr. Tigran Gambaryan have resorted to blackmail, false and malicious accusations against the Nigerian State and its institutions/officials in order to draw wool over the eyes of the public, deflect and disrupt the attention of the public from the actual facts and issues in contention.”