Vice Chairman of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee pushes the Nigerian government to release Binance executives back to the country

Odaily News French Hill, vice chairman of the U.S. House Financial Services Committee, is leading the push for the Nigerian government to release detained Binance executive Tigran Gambaryan. Tigran Gambaryan, an American citizen and former IRS agent who worked as a compliance officer at Binance, flew to Nigeria in February to meet with government officials on behalf of Binance, but was held in a Nigerian prison for nearly four months on "fabricated" charges such as money laundering and tax evasion. Hill said he plans to call Roger Carstens, the U.S. State Department's special presidential envoy for hostage affairs, in the coming days to seek advice on Gambaryan's case. He also plans to consult with Gambaryan's lawyers and family, as well as Rep. Rich McCormick, who represents the 6th Congressional District in Georgia, Gambaryan's hometown. Hill pointed out: "Tigran Gambaryan is a pawn in the political struggle in Nigeria. He needs to be brought back to the United States where he belongs, and then Binance can continue to communicate with Nigeria." A Binance spokesperson said in a statement: "Tigran is not and has never been a decision-maker at Binance, and he does not need to be detained in order to resolve Binance's issues with the Nigerian government." (Fox Business)