The judge, who was attending a seminar at the National Judicial Institute, was scheduled to decide on the fresh bail application for the detained Binance executive on Wednesday.
The ruling on Binance Company’s executive, Tigran Gambaryan’s bail application has been postponed after Justice Emeka Nwite’s absence from the Federal High Court in Abuja.
The judge, who was attending a seminar at the National Judicial Institute, was scheduled to decide on the fresh bail application for the detained Binance executive on Wednesday.
The matter has now been fixed for October 11.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, had previously opposed the bail request during a hearing on September 4.
Iheanacho argued, “The Binance executive was being given the best medical treatment by the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS),” adding that Gambaryan once rejected medical intervention from the State House Clinic in Abuja.
The EFCC lawyer highlighted that despite Gambaryan’s complaints about his health, the State House Clinic’s report showed that his condition was not as serious as portrayed.
He urged the court to dismiss the application, stating, “Surgeons cannot force a surgery on the defendant without his consent.”
Iheanacho further revealed that the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, had requested Gambaryan’s medical records, and the NCoS responded on August 29, providing reports from several hospitals, including the State House Clinic.
“Mr. Gambaryan has been receiving adequate medical care from the NCoS,” Iheanacho emphasized, noting that Gambaryan had been taken to various hospitals and could be transported to any medical facility within Nigeria if necessary.
In response, Gambaryan’s counsel, Mark Mordi, SAN, argued for bail on liberal terms due to his client’s ill-health, stating that, “the medical reports showed that he needed medical care.”
He insisted that Gambaryan’s health condition could not be adequately managed in Nigeria.