Stakeholders in the Nigerian Cryptocurrency Industry demand that Binance reveal the identity of the official who tried to bribe them and prove their allegations.
Local crypto stakeholders said if the bribery allegations against Nigeria, from Binance were not dealt with properly, they could hurt the country’s image.
This was disclosed recently by the secretary of the Stakeholders in Blockchain Technology Association of Nigeria, Rume Ophi, according to Cointelegraph.
Ophi said the body language of the representative of the Nigerian Securities and Exchange Commission during a May 6 meeting showed that the government is willing to make the crypto industry work.
However, Ophi cautioned against the potential for the government to be tarnished by Binance, which would hurt Nigeria’s crypto sector.
“If Binance is trying to make this government look bad and, in turn, create a negative ripple effect for crypto in the country, the stakeholders in Nigeria will not allow that,” said Ophi.
Ophi explained that Binance must provide more detail regarding the alleged bribery attempt, calling on him to identify those who have been involved. He said it would support the claim and enable authorities to take action against any irregularity, thereby protecting Nigeria’s reputation as a place of business from international exchanges.
Recall that the Binance CEO on Tuesday said some unidentified people in Nigeria were trying to make their troubles disappear by paying massive amounts in cryptocurrency.
The New York Times reported that the exchange’s compliance officer, Tigran Gambaryan had received a disturbing message on a trip to Nigeria in January: the company had 48 hours to pay about $150 million in crypto.
Teng said Binance held a meeting with the house committee on financial crimes.
“There were several reasons for that, including the sensitivity of the information and getting the opportunity to see the allegations in full and prepare a thorough substantive response,” he said.
“On January 8, Binance employees had a face-to-face meeting with three members of the HCFC and a clerk in Abuja at the House of Representatives building for a scheduled pre-hearing engagement in private.
“The meeting was chaired by the Honourable Peter Akpanke, the Honourable Philip Agbese, and the Honourable Peter Aniekwe, as well as a clerk.
“During the conversation, the Committee highlighted the important nature of the issues at hand and the lengths to which they were prepared to go to summon Binance, including issuing arrest warrants against our team and CEO and preventing our team from leaving the country.
“While concerning, it was understood that the HCFC does not in fact have the power to issue arrest warrants.
“The meeting ended with the Chair confirming they would consider the matter and revert through Binance’s local counsel.
“However, as our employees were leaving the venue, they were approached by unknown persons who suggested to them to make a payment in settlement of the allegations.
“Later that day, our local counsel — representing us at that time — was summoned by the Committee through someone purporting to be their agent, who relayed the Committee’s terms and instructed our local counsel to advise us.”
The CEO of Flincap, at crypto exchange liquidity platform, Nathaniel Luz doubted the claim of Binance that any Nigerian official had ever visited them, but Luz insisted that the naming of specific individuals would prove its case.
