The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Monday declined an oral application made by Binance Holdings executive Tigran Gambaryan to change his holding facility from Kuje prison to the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Mr Gambaryan, a United States citizen who heads Binance’s financial crime compliance department, pleaded not guilty to a five-count money laundering charge on Monday.
Mike Mordi, the lawyer representing Mr Gambaryan, pleaded with Justice Emeka Nwite to allow his client to remain with EFCC operatives rather than the Kuje correctional facility after the court set April 18 for the bail application hearing.
EFCC counsel E.E. Iheanacho countered his colleague, asserting there was nothing wrong in Mr Gambaryan’s detention in Kuje prison.
According to him, people accused of committing similar financial crimes were usually held there. He argued that until a new detention facility is built for money laundering charges, Mr Gambaryan should remain in Kuje prison.
After hearing both counsels’ arguments, Mr Nwite chided Mr Mordi for not filing a separate application for a change of detention facility for his client.
The senior jurist said he was bound by law not to honour any application not formally made, implying that Mr Mordi only raised his concerns as an afterthought — after the court had set Mr Gambaryan’s bail application for April 18.
Mr Gambaryan will remain in Kuje prison until the court reconvenes to determine whether or not he should be released on bail and possibly provide a list of conditions for the bail, if granted.
The matter is scheduled to proceed to trial on May 2.
