UnitedStatesPresidentJoeBidenthankedhisNigeriancounterpartBolaTinubuforplayingacrucialroleinsecuringthereleaseofaBinanceemployeejaileduntildaysagointheAfricannation,duringaphonecallonTuesdaybetweentheworldleaders.
BidencreditedTinubu’sleadershipasessentialtosecuringthereleaseofTigranGambaryanfromNigeriancustodyonhumanitariangrounds,accordingtoastatementfromtheWhiteHousethatrecountedthemainthemesofthecall.
Lastweek,GambaryanwasreleasedfromaprisoninNigeria’scapital,Abuja,afterovereightmonthsofincarceration.TheBinanceexecutive,anAmericancitizenwholivesoutsideofAtlanta,wasinitiallydetainedinFebruaryafterflyingtoNigeriatonegotiatewithlocalauthoritiesregardinganimpendingcryptocrackdown.
Gambaryanwassoonchargedwithmoneylaunderingandfacilitatingtheoperationofanunlicensedfinancialinstitution.Inthefollowingmonths,hishealthreportedlydeterioratedconsiderably.Gambaryan’sfamilysaidthatwhileincarcerated,hesufferedaherniateddisk,malaria,andrecurrentthroatinfections.TheNigeriangovernmentrepeatedlyrefutedtheseclaims,andinsistedthattheAmericancryptoexecutivewasdoing“fine.”
Finally,aftermonthsofslowlyescalatingdiplomaticappealsfromseveralmembersofCongress—twoofwhomflewtoNigeriatovisitGambaryaninprison—NigerianprosecutorsabruptlydroppedtheirchargesagainsttheBinanceemployeelastweek.Adaylater,heflewhome.
TheverysamedaythatGambaryan’sreleasewassecured,theU.S.DepartmentofStateannounceditwould,inpartnershipwiththegovernmentofNigeria,launchaBilateralLiaisonGrouponIllicitFinanceandCryptocurrencies.
OnTuesday,duringhiscallwithPresidentTinubu,BidenreportedlyexpressedappreciationforNigeria’swillingnesstocollaborateonlawenforcementinitiatives,includingthenewcryptotaskforce.
EditedbyAndrewHayward
decrypt.co