Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, has firmly defended his claim that three Nigerian lawmakers demanded a $150 million bribe to halt his arrest and prosecution in Nigeria for alleged financial crimes.
Gambaryan made the accusation on his X account on Friday, identifying the lawmakers as Ginger Onwusibe, Philip Agbese, and Peter Akpanke. According to him, the legislators requested that the bribe be transferred to their cryptocurrency wallets.
At the time of this report, Onwusibe and Agbese had denied the allegations and indicated their intent to pursue legal action. In a post on X the following Saturday, Gambaryan stated, “Many asked me to provide more details regarding my previous posts. Here’s the truth: what I shared was meant to clarify gaps left by Wired and NPR’s coverage.”
He added, “The past year has been extremely painful for me and my family. I devoted my career to combating crime as a Special Agent with the U.S. Department of the Treasury and as a compliance professional. It was an honor to serve, and I’m grateful that the U.S. government intervened when I needed them.”
Gambaryan recalled the emotional toll on his family during his ordeal. “Being dragged through court on unfounded and fabricated charges didn’t just hurt me—it caused immense suffering for my family,” he wrote. “I don’t want to see my children in tears because I’m not there. I don’t want to see videos of my 75-year-old mother crying on TV. I don’t want to watch my wife break down in front of the cameras. I just want to move past this nightmare and find peace.”
He concluded, “What I shared is the truth, based on my personal experiences and conversations with those directly aware of the events. This information has been shared with both Nigerian and U.S. law enforcement. Please allow me the space to leave this behind and find peace.”
