In a dramatic turn of events at the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice Emeka Nwite on Monday, September 2, ordered officials of the Kuje correctional facility to provide a wheelchair for Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Limited.
The directive came after Gambaryan, who is currently detained, expressed severe discomfort and frustration over the inadequate medical care he has received while in custody.
The incident occurred after the court proceedings had adjourned for a brief period. Upon returning to the courtroom, Justice Nwite was confronted by Gambaryan, who was walking with the aid of crutches. The Binance executive, visibly distressed, informed the judge that his health had significantly deteriorated since being remanded at Kuje due to the lack of proper medical attention. He revealed that he has been living with a herniated disc for the past twelve years, a condition that has worsened during his time in detention.
“My health has deteriorated since I was remanded here. I have been living with this condition for twelve years, but now it’s worse because of the lack of proper medical care,” Gambaryan lamented. He also mentioned that despite his counsel’s request for a wheelchair, the prison officials had denied him access to one, making it difficult for him to move around.
Justice Nwite, visibly concerned, questioned the prison official present in the courtroom about the refusal to provide a wheelchair. Following the exchange, the judge ordered that a wheelchair be made available to Gambaryan immediately. The officials complied with the directive, and Gambaryan was wheeled out of the courtroom.
Earlier in the proceedings, Gambaryan’s counsel, Mark Mordi, SAN, had informed the court that his client’s health was deteriorating rapidly due to the negligence of the prison officials. He explained that Gambaryan could not walk without assistance and had been in excruciating pain while making his way into the courtroom using crutches. Mordi urged the judge to order the provision of a wheelchair to alleviate his client’s suffering.
“My Lord, an application for bail was filed on August 28 regarding the second defendant’s health condition. My client’s health has continued to deteriorate. He can’t move without assistance and was crying as he made his way here this morning,” Mordi explained.
However, the prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, responded by accusing Gambaryan of exaggerating his illness. He noted that the Office of the National Security Adviser had provided a copy of Gambaryan’s health record, which he claimed did not support the severity of the illness as presented.
“I am at a loss as to why the prison officials have not presented the health record to the court,” Iheanacho added. He argued that Gambaryan had lived with the condition for twelve years without it threatening his life and now seemed to be exaggerating its severity.
The case, which also involves Binance’s regional manager for Africa, Nadeem Anjarwalla, has been adjourned until September 4 for the continuation of the trial. Both Gambaryan and Anjarwalla are facing money laundering charges amounting to $35 million, brought against them by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Anjarwalla had previously fled lawful custody, leaving Gambaryan as the sole detained defendant currently held at the Kuje correctional facility.
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