Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, Representatives, Hon. Ginger Obinna Onwusibe, has responded to allegations of bribery against him by Tigran Gambaryan, a senior executive of Binance......CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE>>>>>
The lawmaker who has been at the center of an investigation into Binance’s operations in Nigeria, described the claims as false, malicious, and defamatory.
Onwusibe’s response statement on Saturday follows a statement by Gambaryan, Binance’s Head of Financial Crime Compliance, who took to social media to accuse the lawmaker and his colleagues of demanding bribes during an investigative hearing on the company’s activities in Nigeria.
The accusations were also echoed in international publications, including NPR and Wired, painting a picture of Binance executives being subjected to political and legal harassment in Nigeria.
Onwusibe said he initially ignored all as the matter was already before the court, but given the widespread public reactions and what he described as the “unfair demonisation” of his person, his political party, and even his ethnic group, he felt compelled to address the allegations.
He said prior to the public hearing scheduled for the investigation into activities of the company, its executives requested a pre-hearing meeting which he obliged, insisting that the meeting was professional, transparent, and ended on a cordial note, dismissing the alleged bribe demand as anything that happened duriing the meeting.
Onwusibe therefore insisted that his only interest is ensuring that Binance is held accountable for any financial misconduct, maintaining that the committee’s investigation was conducted fairly and in line with its legislative duties.
“The case, which now has both legal and diplomatic implications, is expected to draw even more attention in the coming weeks”, he said.