Richard Teng, Binance CEO, has claimed that some agents of Nigerian officials demanded secret payment to make its problems in the country “go away,” while noting that what he called “unjust detention” of the company’s employee, is sending the wrong message to potential investors.
Two employees of Binance, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla are facing tax evasion charges in Nigeria after the country’s authorities detained them upon arrival into the country months ago.
However, while Nadeem escaped from custody, Tigran is still being held in Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Teng, who took over from founder and former CEO Changpeng Zhao, said in a blog on Binance’s website that the request was made through a local law firm it hired.
A spokesperson for the Nigerian national security agency did not immediately return a request seeking comments. A spokesperson for the Nigerian parliament, which has launched a committee to probe the charges against Binance, declined comments on Tuesday morning.
A spokesperson for Binance did not immediately return a request seeking clarification about the identities of those involved in soliciting the alleged bribes.
Binance and Nigeria have been locked in a fierce legal battle since Tigran Gambaryan, an official with the crypto giant, was arrested in February. National security adviser Nuhu Ribadu assumed responsibility for the detention, accusing the company of driving down the value of Nigerian naira, among other economic sabotage claims.
Binance has denied all the charges, and another official initially detained with Mr Gambaryan escaped custody days after they were detained.
Mr Gambaryan has been facing charges before a federal court in Abuja, the Nigerian capital, as his wife and children continue to mount pressure on U.S. authorities to help free the American citizen, whom they said did nothing wrong.
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