Iheanacho told the court that the anti-graft agency
uncovered an alleged plot by Gambaryan to obtain a new passport to facilitate
his escape from Nigeria after the EFCC had seized his passport.
“This defendant attempted to procure another travelling
document even when he knew his passport was in the state’s custody. He
pretended as if the said passport was stolen.
“This court will take a grave risk to grant the defendant
bail. This is also because he has no attachment to any community in Nigeria.
“The experience we have had with the man who escaped to
Kenya while his United Kingdom passport is in Nigeria will certainly repeat
itself if this defendant is granted bail.
“The 1st defendant (Binance) is operating virtually. The
only thing we have to hold on to is this defendant. So, we pray, My Lord, to
refuse bail to the defendant,” he said.
Meanwhile, while moving Gambaryan’s bail application, his
lawyer, Mark Mordi (SAN), described his continued detention as “purely a
state-sanctioned hostage taking,” saying EFCC was holding his client as
leverage to obtain information from his employer.
The EFCC is prosecuting Gambaryan, his fleeing colleague,
Anjarwalla, and Binance Holdings Limited on money laundering charges.
The anti-graft agency accused them of concealing the source
of the $35,400 000 generated as revenue by Binance in Nigeria, knowing that the
funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activity.
