The Nigerian government has addressed allegations of demanding a $150 million bribe from Binance to resolve tax evasion accusations.
The Federal Government (FG) has dismissed allegations of bribery made by Binance Chief Executive Officer Richard Teng against unidentified Nigerian government officials as diversionary.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji-Mohammed Idris, conveyed this stance in a statement issued by his media aide, Mr. Rabiu Ibrahim, in Abuja on Wednesday.
Teng had claimed on Tuesday that Nigerian authorities demanded $150 million in cryptocurrency as a bribe to resolve the money laundering trial initiated against two Binance executives, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla.
Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen, and Anjarwalla, a British Kenyan, are currently facing trial for laundering over $35 million in Nigeria.
Ibrahim denounced Binance’s allegations
Ibrahim denounced Binance’s allegations against the government as baseless, stating they were part of an orchestrated international campaign to undermine Nigeria’s authorities.
He clarified, “This claim by Binance lacks any iota of substance. It is nothing but a diversionary tactic and an attempted act of blackmail by a company desperate to obfuscate the grievous criminal charges it is facing in Nigeria.”
Ibrahim highlighted Binance’s founder, Changpeng Zhao’s recent prison sentence in the United States and emphasized that resorting to fictional claims and media campaigns would not absolve Binance of its legal responsibilities in Nigeria.
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