R
Richard Ogunsile
Guest
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled a new date for the trial of Tigran Gambaryan, a detained executive of Binance.
Naija News reports that Gambaryan is facing allegations of money laundering amounting to $35.4 million, as charged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
During the proceedings on Friday, Gambaryan’s absence was noted, and neither the defence nor the prosecution was aware of the circumstances surrounding it.
Justice Nwite temporarily adjourned the court to allow both parties to ascertain the reason for the second defendant’s non-appearance.
Upon reconvening, Justice Nwite expressed his willingness to continue with the trial, which was set to resume with cross-examination.
The prosecution counsel, Iheanacho, however, informed the court that Gambaryan was currently receiving medical treatment at a hospital and the correctional facility would provide further information.
A representative from the correctional facility said to the court, “My Lord, the 2nd defendant is very sick, and we will not be able to produce him in court today.”
Mordi then requested an adjournment until the following week to update the court on his client’s health.
“I humbly beseech my Lord for a date next week, if only to report on the 2nd defendant’s state of health. This should allow the parties to take any necessary steps to ensure the 2nd defendant receives proper medical attention,” he stated.
He added, “We are very passionate about health issues and while we want the case to progress, we do not oppose the adjournment to report on the 2nd defendant’s health.”
With both parties in consensus, Justice Nwite postponed the proceedings to Friday, October 25, to receive an update regarding Gambarayan’s health status.
Last week, Gambaryan’s attorney, Mark Mordi (SAN), requested the court to grant a six-week bail for his client to obtain adequate medical care outside the correctional facility, citing insufficient medical attention while in custody.
He indicated that Gambaryan required surgery for a herniated disc and psychiatric treatment due to depression and anxiety.
Conversely, the prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho (SAN), contested Mordi’s request, asserting that the defence was overstating the seriousness of the second defendant’s (Gambarayan) health issues.
He further claimed that the second defendant could receive necessary treatment while remaining in the Correctional Facility, maintaining that his health condition did not justify the granting of bail.
In his ruling on the application, Justice Nwite denied the bail request for the second defendant, stating that reputable Nigerian medical professionals are already overseeing his health care.
Nevertheless, he instructed the Nigerian Correctional Service to transfer Gambaryan to a reputable hospital in Abuja for treatment for a duration of three days to two weeks under security supervision.
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