The federal government has denied the $150 million bribery allegations made by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of global cryptocurrency trading platform Binance Holdings Ltd, Richard Teng.
The Special Assistant to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Rabiu Ibrahim, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Recall on Tuesday that Naijaonpoint reported that Teng alleged that Nigerian authorities demanded the sum of $150million in cryptocurrency as a bribe to make the money laundering trial initiated against two of its executives, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, go away.
Gambaryan, a U.S. citizen and head of financial crime and Anjarwalla, a British Kenyan, are currently facing trial for laundering more than $35 million in Nigeria.
Reacting to the allegations levelled against the government, Ibrahim said the claim is part of an orchestrated international campaign by Binance to undermine the Nigerian government.
The spokesperson also said the allegations by Binance CEO lacks “any iota of substance,” and it is attempted to “blackmail” the government.
Furthermore, the federal government said it will not succumb to “blackmail”, insisting that the cryptocurrency firm must submit itself to the Nigeria authorities for investigation.
The government of Nigeria noted that it will continue to operate within its laws and international norms.
On Tuesday May 7, Naijaonpoint reported that the CEO of Binance, Richard Teng, alleged that some unknown persons sought a bribe of cryptocurrency from its executives, Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, before their detention on February 28, 2024.