A Federal High Court in Abuja has adjourned the tax evasion case involving Binance Holdings Limited and its executives.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) had dragged the firm to court for tax evasion.
Also joined in the suit are officials of the company, Tigran Gambaryan, and fleeing Nadeem Anjarwalla.
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In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CR/115/2024, Binance was accused of failing to register with the FIRS for the purpose of paying all relevant taxes administered by the service.
The FIRS also alleged that while it was offering taxable services to subscribers on its trading platform, the company failed to issue invoices to the subscribers for the purposes of determining and payment of its Value Added Taxes.
At the proceedings on Thursday, Binance and Anjarwalla were absent and had no legal representation in court.
Counsel for the FIRS, Moses Ideh told the court that the Plaintiff was unable to serve the second defendant, Gambaryan the charge in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s custody.
He noted that the bailiff was also denied access to the defendant.
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Ideh said, “My lord, we have not been able to serve a copy of the charge on the second defendant. We mobilised the court bailiff to serve the second defendant but he was denied access, too.
My lord, I will be making an application to serve him this morning.”
The counsel for the second defendant, Chukwuka Ikwuazo (SAN) did not object to the application.
The trial judge, Justice Emeka Nwite directed that the charge sheet be given to the second defendant.
Afterward, Ideh orally applied for the matter to be stood down or an adjournment to allow the defendant to consult with his lawyers.
Ikwuazo did not also object to the oral application.
Ruling, Nwite agreed with the prosecution counsel that the second defendant needed them to consult with his lawyers having just been served with the charge.
He said, “In the light that he had just been served, he should be allowed time to study the charges. The matter is hereby adjourned till April 19 for arrangement.”
