The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has re-arraigned Binance Holdings Limited on four-count charge bordering on tax evasion allegations.
Nigerian representative of Binance, Ayodele Omotilewa, who was docked, took plea on behalf of the company before Justice Emeka Nwite of a Federal High Court, Abuja.
He pleaded not guilty to the four counts.
The court however adjourned the matter to October 11, for trial to commence.
The re-arraignment followed the discharge of the cryptocurrency firm’s executive, Tigran Gambaryan, and his fleeing colleague, Nadeem Anjarwalla, from the alleged offence in the last adjourned date.
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Justice Nwite, in a ruling on June 14, discharged and struck out Gambaryan and Anjarwalla’s names from the charge after FIRS’ counsel, Moses Ideho, filed a fresh amended charge wherein Binance is listed as sole defendant.
The judge also ordered the parties to address the court in the next adjourned date on whether the new Binance representative, Omotilewa, a Nigerian and a lawyer, should be docked to take a plea on Binance behalf.
Idoho had argued that since Omotilewa had been appointed by the company as its new representative in Nigeria, he should be ordered to enter dock to take plea on the amended charge on behalf of the cryptocurrency platform.
But Tonye Krukrubo, who appeared for Binance, opposed the application.
Krukrubo, said Omotilewa was only appointed as a representative and not to enter dock.
In the amended charge filed on June 14, Binance Holdings Limited is the sole defendant in the four-count charge.
Binance and Gambaryan were previously accused by the anti-graft agency of money laundering involving $35.4 million.
Besides, the company was under suspicion of alleged terrorism financing.
(Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie)
