Ignore Gambaryan’s $150m Bribery Allegation against Lawmakers, Binance’s Boss Insists On Proofs
The House of Representatives said Nigerians should ignore the $150 million bribery allegation against three of its members by the head of financial crime for cryptocurrency giant, Binance, Tigran Gambaryan before its investigation on the matter.
Although Gambaryan insisted that the $150million bribery allegation he levelled against three members of the House – Ginger Onwusibe, Philip Agbese, and Peter Akpanke – was true.
Only on Friday, Gambaryan had alleged that some members of the House of Representatives demanded a $150million bribe from him during a meeting in Abuja to halt an investigation into the activities of his company.
But the Federal Government dismissed his claims as untrue.
In the same vein, Agbese and Onwusibe, the two of the indicted House members, in separate press statements, denied the allegation and promised to head to court to clear their names.
A statement signed by the House Spokesman, Akin Rotimi, said Nigerians should not allow themselves to be swayed by what it called “Recycled claims,” targeted at Nigerian institutions and public servants.
According to the statement, the House remains steadfast in its commitment to transparency, accountability, and the protection of Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
The statement further stated that, “The Honourable members have assured the House leadership that they never had any such dealings as reported. One of the members has already instituted legal action to clear his name, while others affected have been encouraged to do the same in pursuit of justice and the protection of their reputations.
“It is also important to highlight that, with the active involvement of both the Nigerian and United States governments, this matter has evolved into a government-to-government engagement. Notably, in the course of high-level diplomatic discussions, the Federal Government of Nigeria has prioritised national interest over external commercial pressure, including rejecting financial settlement offers from Binance.
“These facts raise serious questions about the credibility and intent of the allegations being peddled.”
The House said in line with established parliamentary, diplomatic and judicial principles, it would refrain from further comment on the matter already because it is before a court of competent jurisdiction and remains the subject of ongoing diplomatic engagements.
However, Gambaryan stood his ground, insisting that the allegation was true.
Gambaryan, on his verified “X” page, said: “Many requested that I stay on and provide further commentary on the issues I posted about yesterday. Here’s the hard truth: What I shared was meant to fill in the gaps left by Wired and NPR’s reporting.”
