A mild drama ensued at the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday, following the notable absence of Tigran Gambaryan, an executive from Binance Holdings Limited, during his trial.
According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Justice Emeka Nwite had scheduled this date for the continuation of proceedings concerning the alleged money laundering charges brought against Binance Ltd and its representative in Nigeria, Gambaryan, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on October 11.
This development came in the wake of Justice Nwite’s rejection of Gambaryan’s second bail application.
When the case was called on Friday, all legal representatives for the parties involved were present, with the exception of the second defendant, Gambaryan. The judge inquired about the absence from Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, SAN, who stated he was unaware of his client’s whereabouts.
EFCC counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, expressed surprise at Gambaryan’s absence. He requested a brief recess to investigate the matter with the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) management.
Tonye Krukrubo, SAN, representing Binance, also voiced concern regarding Gambaryan’s nonappearance, questioning the EFCC’s knowledge of his situation, given that he is in their custody. Justice Nwite further probed the NCoS officer present in court about why Gambaryan was not produced for the trial. The officer confirmed that Gambaryan was indeed in their custody.
The judge then instructed the officer to contact the individual responsible for the Kuje Correctional Centre and to inform him of the court’s concerns regarding Gambaryan’s whereabouts.
After a recess, when the court reconvened, the NCoS officer reported that he had spoken with his superior. He indicated that Gambaryan was unwell, which accounted for his absence from the court proceedings.
Mordi, representing Gambaryan, requested an adjournment to allow for a follow-up on the defendant’s health status. He proposed scheduling the next hearing for the following week to ensure Gambaryan receives the necessary medical attention.
Iheanacho did not oppose this request, acknowledging the importance of addressing the defendant’s health concerns, despite his preference for the trial to continue with witnesses present.
The judge subsequently adjourned the case until October 25 to receive an update on Gambaryan’s health condition. (NAN)
