₦airaland Forum

The house of representatives has denied demanding bribe from Binance, a popular cryptocurrency platform.

On Tuesday, the cryptocurrency giant said some unknown persons in Nigeria demanded huge payments in digital currency to make their “problems in the country go away”.

On February 28, the federal government detained two top executives of Binance as part of a probe bordering on illegal operations in the country and foreign exchange rate manipulations.

The detained executives included Nadeem Anjarwalla, a 37-year-old British-Kenyan and Binance’s regional manager for Africa; and Tigran Gambaryan, a 39-year-old US citizen and Binance’s head of financial crime compliance.

Nigeria’s government, on March 25, filed a criminal charge against Binance for “tax evasion” — the same period Anjarwalla fled detention.

Speaking on the issues, Richard Teng, the firm’s chief executive officer (CEO), in a blog post shared with TheCable, said despite multiple requests, Binance has still not received details of the allegations, “and our employees, therefore, inquired if there was an opportunity to submit our responses in writing and in the absence of a public hearing”.

“There were a number of reasons for that, including the sensitivity of the information and getting the opportunity to see the allegations in full and prepare a thorough substantive response,” he said.

“The meeting ended with the Chair confirming they would consider the matter and revert through Binance’s local counsel.

“However, as our employees were leaving the venue, they were approached by unknown persons who suggested to them to make a payment in settlement of the allegations.

“Later that day, our local counsel — representing us at that time — was summoned by the Committee through someone purporting to be their agent, who relayed the Committee’s terms and instructed our local counsel to advise us.

During plenary session on Wednesday, Kama Nkemkanma from Ebonyi state, raised a “point of privilege”, saying the house never met with Binance and no bribe has ever been demanded.

“This house can never allow itself to be talked down,” he said.

The lawmaker said the allegation is capable of “bringing the house into disrepute” and should “never be taken lightly”.

Ruling on the point of privilege, Tajudeen Abbas, speaker of the house, said the clerk should “take note”.

“We need to use whatever media available to us to refute this allegation,” Abbas said.

“Nothing like that has ever happened. No committee of the house has ever engaged this man.”

mcjokee:
Show me a country without corrupt people, it’s not a must to comment and show your stupidity, if those guys are so innocent, why would one of them decide to escape from detention? Do you people even reason at all?
This is getting too much, supporting evil against your country and you feel you can ever make it on this soil?
You won’t my brother.
Your country is your Jerusalem, and whatever you wish her will def be your portion directly or indirectly, you like it or not. Get sense bro!!!

mcjokee:
The guy was trying to enlighten you but you’re hell bent on being a %@@% you people will continue supporting an enemy of your country against your country, yet you claim to be educated? Isn’t that stupidity. Your country is convicting an organisation that has always been encouraging fraudulent activities against its economy, yet you call that evil? How do you define this callousness? I’m ashamed for you and your low self esteem.

Kingsmeal:
You invite mid level employees for a meeting, they attend and they got detained. Keep cheering this nonsénse, while you jump from country to country and plane to plane looking for investors.

You think they don't do their research before throwing their millions? Ride on boy.

StOla:
Keep running down your own country to please those who are only after profit of their business and that of their employers.

America did what is good for America, just as Nigeria is doing what is good for Nigeria.

Binance and it's goal to make profit, cannot be more important than America or Nigeria economic stability.

Immense shame on you and your traitorous lineage.

It is not by force to be patriotic, but to always seek out ways to destroy your country, then you are an enemy of the state.

StOla:
Don't be surprised that such enemies of the state are lobbying to get those guys released so they can be paid their bribe.

Jagabanbattle:
Like I said, Binance and all their executives must pay for painting our great country in black on the international stage. Any of their executives held in custody must be made to face the consequences of this false allegation.

More fine & punishment for Binance. Either they are US citizens or not. Even US come into our country to extradite our citizens. If we need any of their executive, Nigeria government should extradite him/her back to Nigeria. If US government won’t comply, then we should stop complying to their request of extraditing our citizens to USA. We can’t allow some nonentity to damage our image.