Philip Agbese, a member of Nigeria’s House of Representatives, has strongly denied bribery allegations made against him by Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of Binance Holdings Limited. The lawmaker has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Gambaryan to either provide concrete evidence of the alleged bribery demand or prepare to face legal action.
The controversy erupted when Gambaryan, in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday, accused three Nigerian lawmakers, including Agbese and Peter Akpanke, of demanding a staggering $150 million bribe in cryptocurrency payments into their personal wallets. However, Gambaryan failed to provide any evidence to substantiate his claims.
In response, Agbese released a strongly worded statement, distancing himself from the alleged bribery and asserting that he was never part of any committee that engaged with Binance.
Agbese expressed outrage over what he described as a baseless and malicious allegation, emphasizing that he had no involvement in any financial dealings with Binance.
“I am outraged by the false allegations made by Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of the controversial crypto firm Binance, claiming that I was among those who demanded a $150 million bribe from him,” Agbese stated.
He categorically denied ever attending any meeting where such discussions took place, adding that Binance had already apologized after the matter was taken to court by the committee’s leadership.
“Let it be on record that I am not a member of the Committee on Economic and Financial Crimes. I visited my colleague, Hon. Peter Akpanke, in his office, where he was meeting with some visitors regarding his committee’s activities, alongside Hon. Peter Anekwe, a member of the committee.”
Agbese explained that his brief visit was purely incidental and had nothing to do with any financial discussions.
“We exchanged pleasantries, and as someone who is keen on knowledge, I asked about Binance’s activities. However, at no point was there any discussion of financial transactions. What transpired between them after I left remains their business. I never saw those visitors again, nor did I participate in any subsequent meetings with Binance, the EFCC, or the DSS.”
The lawmaker challenged Gambaryan to either present verifiable evidence linking him to the bribery claims or retract his statement and issue a public apology within seven days.
“I have no cryptocurrency account anywhere in the world. I have never engaged in any electronic currency transaction since I was born. I challenge my accuser to provide proof of any cryptocurrency wallet belonging to me.”
Agbese further alleged that Gambaryan and his associate—who reportedly escaped from custody—should return to Nigeria and defend themselves instead of making baseless accusations.
“The man has spewed numerous falsehoods, including outrageous claims about the government seeking information on opposition elements. These lies are part of a desperate attempt to undermine public office holders who are committed to national interests.”
Agbese warned that if Gambaryan fails to provide evidence or retract his claims, legal action will be taken against him.
“I demand that Tigran Gambaryan publishes any evidence linking me to this bribery accusation. If he fails to do so within seven days, he must issue a formal retraction and an apology. Otherwise, my legal team will pursue all necessary legal measures to hold him accountable for this malicious defamation.”
The lawmaker also noted that this is not the first time he has been falsely accused by foreign entities, citing previous allegations that he worked for the past government and the Armed Forces to promote Nigeria’s agenda.
With tensions escalating, all eyes are now on Gambaryan—will he provide evidence, apologize, or face the legal consequences of his claims?
PIONEER NEWS 