BREAKING: Binance: I did not demand $150 million bribe from Gambaryan – Philip Agbese

The lawmaker representing Ado, Okpokwu, and Ogbadibo Federal Constituency, Philip Agbese, has refuted the claim by Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of the controversial crypto firm Binance, that he was among those who demanded a $150 million bribe from him.

Nigerian authorities detained Gambaryan and his colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, a 37-year-old British Kenyan who serves as the regional manager for Africa at Binance.

Both were charged with money laundering involving $35 million, as initiated by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

However, Gambaryan was released following the intervention of the United States government.

While in detention, the Binance boss said some lawmakers in the House of Representatives demanded bribes from him.

Taking to his verified X handle, Gambaryan named Philip Agbese, Ginger Onwusibe, and Peter Akpanke, all members of the House, as the men who allegedly demanded the huge sum from him.

Reacting, however, Agbese, in a statement on Friday, dared Gambaryan to provide evidence or face legal consequences.

He asked Gambaryan and his associate, who escaped from prison, to return to the EFCC and defend themselves instead of trying to implicate him.

The statement reads below:

“I am outraged by the false allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of the controversial crypto firm Binance, claiming that I was among those who demanded a $150 million bribe from him.

These allegations are false. I was not part of any meeting with any Binance executive regarding money for any purpose. The leadership of the Committee took the matter to court, and Binance has already apologized.

Let it be on record that I am not a member of the Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes. I visited my colleague, Hon. Peter Akpanke, in his office, where he was meeting with some visitors about an activity of his Committee, with Hon. Peter Anekwe, a member of the Committee, present. We exchanged pleasantries and, in character with my person as an avid pursuer of knowledge, discussed Binance’s activities that did not include any demand from anyone.
It was during this visit to the office of Hon. Peter Akpanke, with Hon. Peter Anekwe present, that he told me they were interfacing with the Binance Team from abroad over a referral to their Committee. What transpired between the two of them and the Binance executive after I left the office is left to them.

I never saw those visitors again after that chance meeting and did not afterwards attend any meeting with Binance executives, the EFCC, or the DSS.
I am aware that when this issue was first raised, the Chairman of the Committee went to court, and Binance apologized. So, all inquiries should be directed to the Committee, not to Hon. Philip Agbese.

I have never used any cryptocurrency as I do not have a crypto wallet anywhere in the world, so I could not have asked for funds to be credited to a non-existent wallet.
Gambaryan and his associate, who escaped from prison, should return to the EFCC and defend themselves. Instead of trying to implicate me, they should focus on addressing the allegations against them.

As a consequence of the foregoing, I demand that Tigran Gambaryan publishes any evidence that links Hon. Philip Agbese to the issue. The man has spewed many other lies in his report about the government demanding information on opposition elements and other outrageous claims. I further demand that, failing to provide evidence as stated, Tigran Gambaryan must cause a retraction of his malicious claims and publication and apologise to me within the next seven days or face legal action from my lawyers.

This is not the first allegation against me by a foreign entity. The first was that I work for the past government and the Armed Forces to promote Nigeria’s agenda, which shows the extent of desperation by entities that are interested in undermining public office holders they perceive as nationalistic.”