Following the inability of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) to effect service of the charge on the defendants on Binance Holdings Limited and two of its executives; Tigran Gambaryan and Nadeem Anjarwalla, the trial of the defendants on Thursday, could not proceed.
When the matter was called for the defendants to take their plea before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court, Abuja, only Gambaryan was represented by a lawyer.
Neither the company nor Anjarwalla, who recently escaped from lawful custody, was represented by a counsel the News Agency of Nigeria , NAN, reports.
The agency however, reports that Gambaryan’s lawyer, Chukwuka Ikwuazo, SAN, told the court that his client had not been served with the charge, hence, his arraignment cannot proceed.
FIRS lawyer, Moses Ideho, said the agency had not served Gambaryan’s with the charge because the defendant could not be reached at the EFCC’s detention.
Ideho prayed the court to serve Gambaryan in the open court and the judge directed that the charge be served on him in the dock.
The lawyer, therefore, sought a stand-down of the matter or an adjournment to enable Gambaryan consult with his lawyer.
Ikwuazo did not object to an oral application for adjournment and the matter was adjourned until April 19 for him to take his plea.
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