By Segun Adewole
The Head of Financial Crime of cryptocurrency firm, Binance, Tigran Gambaryan, has named the Nigerian lawmakers who allegedly demanded a $150 million bribe from him.
Gambaryan was freed in October 2024 after the Federal Government dropped charges of money laundering against his firm.
He had been detained for months and was released following an intervention from the US government.
While in detention, Gambaryan had accused some lawmakers of demanding bribe from him to stave off his arrest and prosecution.
In a statement on X on Friday, Gambaryan named the lawmakers as the Deputy Spokesperson for the House of Assembly, Philip Agbese; the Head of the House of Representatives Committee on anti-corruption, Ginger Obinna Onwusibe; and the member representing the Obanliku/Obudu /Bekwara, Peter Akpanke.
Gambaryan said, “The DSS was involved in the House of Representatives matter. We met with them at their office on Friday, January 5, 2024, as a prerequisite to our meeting with the House of Representatives. They alluded to the fact that we had to comply with whatever the House members instructed us to do.
“At the House meeting, there were three members present. Two of them were Peter Akpanke and Philip Agbese, both working under the leadership of Ginger Obinna Onwusibe. There was a third House member, but I don’t recall his name.
“They set up fake cameras and media to make the meeting appear official, but the cameras weren’t even plugged in. As you may already know, this ended with them asking for a $150 million bribe, paid in cryptocurrency into their personal wallets. A Mickey Mouse operation at its best.”
The lawmakers are yet to respond to the allegation at the time of filing this report.
