From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crime has said it did not at anytime solicit bribe from Binance, a cryptocurrency firm, as alleged by the latter.
The chairman of the Committee, Ginger Onwusibe, stated this, on Tuesday, at a press briefing, in Abuja, while responding to allegations that the panel solicited bribe from Binance in respect of a petition against the firm, which is being investigated by the parliament.
Onwusibe noted that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Binance, Richard Teng, had in a post on the company’s website allegedly said that some “unknown persons” approached its officials for a bribe after private meeting with four representatives of the committee.
The lawmaker, who described the allegations as blackmail , said the committee would not be deterred from the discharge of its duties.
He recalled that in December 2023, the committee received petitions from several Civil Society Organizations(CSOs)/ Non Governmental Organizations ( NGOs) alleging various infractions against Binance..
According to him, based the request of the company, the committee held a pre-hearing meeting with Binance officials on January 8, 2024 ahead of a public hearing, on the petition against them, scheduled for January 10, 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 Binance at the meeting,” the lawmaker stated.
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