By Paul Effiong, Abuja
Following an alleged demand of $150m bribe made against federal lawmakers in the House of Representatives, Honourable Philip Agbese and two others by the Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, Tigran Gambaryan; Agbese has instituted a law suit against Gambaryan, “To retract his defamatory claims and apologise for falsely accusing me of demanding a bribe from Binance”.
A document made available to AljazirahNigeria titled “Binance: Why I Didn’t Wait 7 Days Before Suing Gambaryan”, quoted Agbese as saying that “This egregious allegation was a clear attempt to tarnish my reputation and undermine my integrity”.
As reported by the New York Times on May 7, 2024, Binance initially claimed that “unknown persons” had approached them for a bribe on behalf of the Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes. At the time, I did not see fit to join the lawsuit filed by Hon. Ginger Onwusibe against Binance, as the allegations did not specifically mention my name”.
According to the document , “However, when Gambaryan recently repeated the allegation, categorically mentioning my name, I knew I had to take swift and decisive action. It became expedient to go to court to protect my reputation and defend my integrity.
“Just three days after issuing the ultimatum, Monday, February 17, 2025, I instituted legal proceedings against Gambaryan. My decision to take action was motivated by the need to protect my reputation, not just as an individual but also as a distinguished Congressman and a representative of my country.
“Unfortunately, the accuser, Gambaryan, has shown no remorse for his actions. Instead of apologising, he has chosen to remain silent, citing a desire to spend more time with his family. I am an African, and family is at the heart of our culture. I have a larger family and more loved ones to care for than Gambaryan, and I will not let his baseless allegations go unchallenged.
“Therefore, Gambaryan must come to court to substantiate his false claims or pay the compensation I have demanded. I’m seeking compensation not for personal gain but a token of accountability, serving as a deterrent to others who would seek to damage reputations and undermine trust in our society. I’m confident that the courts will uphold the truth and hold Gambaryan accountable for his actions”.
AljazirahNigeria gathered that Legal Counsel S. Ihensekhien, from Pathlegal & Co Legal Practitioners is representing Honourable Philip Agbese in the suit.
Gambaryan, is accused of defaming the federal Lawmaker in a series of inflammatory statements made on social media that allegedly linked Agbese to a bribery scandal.
The Binance Chief’s statements, were widely shared on various social media platforms.
Meanwhile, Agbese has denied the accusations, stating that he was never involved in any such meeting or demand for a bribe.
The lawmaker pointed out that he has no cryptocurrency accounts and has never engaged in any business involving cryptocurrency.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives has advised members of the public to be guided by verified information regarding the $150m bribery allegation against three of its members by cryptocurrency giant, Binance.
Besides, the Federal Government has urged citizens to disregard what it described as the falsehoods peddled by Mr Tigran Gambaryan, an American employee of Binance.
The government in a press release signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, issued in Abuja, recently, expressed concern over the outrageous allegations, misinformation, and defamatory statements made by Gambaryan, who was recently tried in Nigeria for financial crimes.
Idris, stated that while the government was reluctant to engage Gambaryan, given the high-level diplomatic intervention that resolved his case, it was nonetheless compelled to set the record straight to prevent his falsehoods from gaining traction.
