Bribery allegation: Anambra Rep insists that the motion he moved on Binance had to do with an investigation to find out how Nadeem Anjarwalla escaped from the custody.
Rep. Dominic Okafor (Anambra, APGA) has distanced himself from media reports that claimed he collected a bribe of $140 million Dollars from Binance, adding that the publication was an attempt to smear his name.
Addressing reporters at the National Assembly on Friday, Okafor who moved a motion on the 8th of May 2024 to probe the escape of a Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, from the custody of Nigerian security operatives, said he knew nothing of such a transaction insisting that the motion he moved had to do with the investigation to find out how Anjarwalla escaped and had nothing to do with bribery.
“Shortly after I moved that motion which was well received and a lot of people were calling to commend me. Shortly after that, I started getting calls from my friends all over the world saying I collected bribes from this very company. I got worried and after that wrote a letter to Premium Times, the media company that originated the story.
“I did a letter to them in which I copied the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Clerk, Inspector General of Police, EFCC and DSS. I asked them to retrieve the information within 24 hours. If not I will take legal action against them.
“That is why I am here to exonerate myself from such accusations aimed at tarnishing my image which I have earned over the years.
“I am coming from the private sector. I have been a member of Rotary International for over 25 years for those of you who know what Rotary means and what it stands for. And someone wants to tarnish that image and integrity I have built over the years.
“I never knew anything about such transactions. Rather I moved a motion of national importance, something I feel because of my interest in the country Nigeria and for any personal interest.
“The motion I moved has to do with an investigation to find out how Nadeem Anjarwalla escaped from the custody of national security and has nothing to do with bribery or no bribery. It is still a mystery to me. I wouldn’t know how it emanated.
“This thing happened yesterday. So we are looking at all the circumstances, so we look at the right legal action to take.
“For the online media man that accused me of collecting $140 million, I don’t think that is something we would sweep under the carpet. I am discussing with my legal team to know the right action to take.”
OrderPaper recalls that Cryptocurrency platform, Binance, accused some top government officials of demanding $150m in crypto to settle the criminal charge against the firm.
The federal government cracked down on the cryptocurrency platform in a bid to save the naira from plundering more. Some of the charges filed against Binance by the federal government were tax evasion, currency speculation, and money laundering to the tune of $35,400,000.
Binance Chief Executive Officer, Richard Teng, made the bribery allegation in a blog post published by the New York Times (NYT) on Tuesday (7th May 2024).
According to a report by NYT “On a trip to Nigeria in January, Tigran Gambaryan, a compliance officer for the giant cryptocurrency exchange Binance, received an unsettling message: The company had 48 hours to make a payment of roughly $150 million in crypto.”
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, 8th May 2024, in a statement on Wednesday, Nigeria’s Information Ministry spokesperson Rabiu Ibrahim said the claims “lack any iota of substance” accusing Binance of attempting to undermine the country’s legal proceedings.
Citizens, especially constituents from Anambra can track the legislative performance of Rep Okafor here.
