The Federal High Court is set to hear the money laundering case against crypto exchange Binance and two of its executives next week.
This hearing, originally scheduled for October 11, has been moved up to September 2 at the request of defense attorneys, according to a Reuters report.
Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, along with Tigan Gambaryan, its U.S. head of financial crime compliance, and Nadeem Anjarwalla, the British-Kenyan regional manager for Africa, face charges for allegedly laundering over $35 million.
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Additionally, Binance is accused of tax evasion.
Both Binance and Gambaryan deny the allegations. Anjarwalla managed to escape detention and leave Nigeria before the trial commenced.
Gambaryan, meanwhile, has been in detention in Nigeria since February, and his wife, Yuki Gambaryan, has reported that his health has worsened.
She has called on the Nigerian government to drop the charges and release him on health grounds, and has also appealed to the U.S. government for assistance.
The Nigerian government has criticized Binance for contributing to the weakness of the naira, as the exchange has been a popular platform for trading the currency amid a dollar shortage.
Binance halted transactions in naira in March following a crackdown on crypto exchanges, which authorities blame for fueling a black market for foreign exchange.
In a previous court appearance in July, Gambaryan was brought in a wheelchair but stood and walked into the dock when his case was called. EFCC lawyer Ogechi Ujam requested a postponement to allow the commission’s lead counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, to be present, a request that was not opposed by defense attorneys Babatunde Fagbohunlu (SAN) and Mark Mordi.
On July 5, Justice Emeka Nwite had ordered the Nigerian Correctional Service to release Gambaryan’s medical certificate by July 16, following an application by his lawyer.
Mordi had also asked the court to summon the doctor from Kuje Correctional Centre to explain why the medical report was not provided as ordered.
