Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja directed officials at the Kuje Correctional Facility to provide Tigran Gambaryan, a detained executive of Binance Holdings Limited, with a wheelchair.
This order was issued following an emotional outburst from Gambaryan shortly after the court proceedings were adjourned. Justice Nwite had briefly exited the courtroom but returned to find Gambaryan, who was using crutches, stopping in front of him to express his concerns. Gambaryan complained that his health had significantly deteriorated since being remanded at Kuje due to inadequate medical care.
Gambaryan revealed to the judge that he has been suffering from a herniated disc for the past twelve years. However, he claimed his condition has worsened due to the lack of proper medical attention at the facility, making it increasingly difficult for him to walk. He appealed to the judge to take his counsel’s request for a wheelchair seriously.
Justice Nwite immediately questioned the prison official present as to why Gambaryan had been denied a wheelchair. The judge then ordered that a wheelchair be provided to Gambaryan, a directive that was promptly complied with, and Gambaryan was wheeled out of the courtroom.
Earlier, Gambaryan’s counsel, Mark Mordi, SAN, had informed the court of his client’s deteriorating health. Mordi explained that Gambaryan’s condition had worsened due to the negligence of prison officials, who had failed to provide a wheelchair despite repeated requests.
He described how Gambaryan experienced excruciating pain while making his way into the courtroom with crutches, emphasizing that a wheelchair would have alleviated his suffering. Mordi also mentioned that a fresh bail application had been filed due to his client’s worsening health condition.
“My Lord, a bail application was filed on August 28 regarding the second defendant’s health condition. My client’s health has continued to deteriorate. He can’t move without assistance and be crying as he made his way here this morning,” Mordi stated.
However, the prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, countered that Gambaryan was exaggerating his illness. Iheanacho argued that the Office of the National Security Adviser had provided a copy of Gambaryan’s health record, which indicated that his condition was not as severe as claimed.
He expressed confusion as to why the prison officials had not presented the health record to the court.
Iheanacho further noted that Gambaryan had lived with this health condition for the past 12 years without it threatening his life, but now he complains of its severity.
In the same session, the counsel for the first defendant, Tonye Krukrubo, SAN, highlighted an issue concerning the continuation of the trial. He expressed frustration that officials from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), who had been subpoenaed to provide certain documents, had not supplied a complete set. Although the prosecution later handed over some documents, Krukrubo insisted that they were incomplete.
Iheanacho requested an adjournment to allow time to communicate with the CBN about the incomplete documents, suggesting that one or two days would be sufficient to resolve the issue.
Responding to the fresh bail application filed by Mordi, Justice Nwite stated that it was the first time he had heard of it and therefore could not address it at that moment. He subsequently adjourned the case until September 4 for the continuation of the trial.
Binance, along with its British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla, and Gambaryan, are facing charges of money laundering amounting to $35 million, brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
While Anjarwalla fled custody on March 22, 2024, Gambaryan remains detained, having been transferred from the Office of the National Security Adviser to EFCC custody.
