The case of a Binance executive accused of tax evasion in Nigeria has been postponed to April 19 after the first court appearance. Tigran Gambaryan, head of financial crime compliance at Binance, faced charges of not paying value-added tax, corporate income tax, and allegedly helping customers evade taxes through the Binance platform.

According to a report by Bloomberg, Justice Emeka Nwite decided to postpone Gambaryan's case for a longer period because he was seeing the charges for the first time during the proceedings. The charges were served in court as Gambaryan was in custody of a different federal agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Another Binance executive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, who holds UK and Kenyan citizenship, fled Nigeria after being detained alongside Gambaryan. Nigerian authorities had invited the executives to meet officials following restrictions on cryptocurrency channels to combat currency speculation.

Cryptocurrency popularity in Nigeria has increased due to the devaluation of the naira, leading to the crackdown on platforms offering digital tokens by the government. Central Bank Governor Olayemi Cardoso alleged that Binance facilitated $26 billion in untraceable transactions before the executives' arrest.

Binance clarified that Gambaryan had no decision-making authority within the company before the hearing and emphasized ongoing discussions with Nigerian government officials. During the court hearing, arguments focused on serving charges to Binance through its employee, Gambaryan.

Gambaryan's legal defense expressed concern about the case's international significance and emphasized following due process. As cryptocurrency exchanges face increased scrutiny, clear regulatory frameworks and adherence to due process are essential to address concerns of tax evasion and financial crimes.

Gambaryan currently remains in EFCC custody, awaiting further developments in the case that could potentially lead to imprisonment.