A Federal High Court in Abuja has denied Tigran Gambaryan, a detained Binance executive, a fresh bail application due to abuse of court process.
Justice Emeka Nwite made the ruling on Friday, October 11, 2024, stating that Gambaryan’s request couldn’t be granted while he still challenged the earlier bail ruling at the Court of Appeal.
The judge emphasized that Gambaryan failed to withdraw his pending appeal against the earlier ruling before filing another motion, constituting an abuse of court process. “There is no gainsaying on this leg alone that this application is bound to fail,” Justice Nwite said.
Gambaryan’s lawyer, Mark Mordi, had prayed for bail on liberal terms or a six-week bail due to Gambaryan’s ill health. However, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) opposed the application, arguing that Gambaryan received adequate medical care from the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) and had been taken to several hospitals, including the State House Clinic.
Despite dismissing the bail application, Justice Nwite ordered the NCoS to refer Gambaryan to any standard hospital in Abuja for two to three days. The matter was adjourned until October 18, November 22, and November 25 for continuation of trial.
The EFCC’s lawyer, Ekele Iheanacho, had earlier urged the court to dismiss the fresh application, stating that Gambaryan’s health issues were not as severe as claimed and that he had rejected medical intervention from the State House Clinic.
