Legit.ng journalist Esther Odili has over two years of experience covering political parties and movements.

The House of Representatives has urged Nigerians to verify information before taking a position on the matter.

The House made this plea, while reacting to the $150m bribery allegation against three of its members by Binance executive, Tigran Gambaryan.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Binance's Head of Financial Crime Compliance Tigran Gambaryan has mentioned three Nigeria's House of Representatives members who demanded a $150 million bribe from him during his travails.

In another tweet on Saturday, February 15, Gambaryan alleged that the federal government used him to negotiate a beneficial settlement with the US government.

He said that the federal government dragged his name through the mud for the past year without any evidence against him. He claimed that he was nearly killed. The Binance executive also claimed that the situation caused his family some trauma. He then questioned why the Nigerian government described his allegations as defamation.

Binance’s head of financial compliance, Tigran Gambaryan, on Friday, February 14, named Ginger Onwusibe, Philip Agbese and Peter Akpanke, all members of the House of Representatives, as the Nigerian officials who demanded the bribe from him to forestall his arrest and prosecution for alleged financial crimes.

However, both Agbese and Onwusibe, in separate press statements, dismissed the claims and vowed to use the instrument of the law to clear their names.

Reacting on Saturday, February 15, via a statement signed by its spokesman, Akin Rotimi, the House urged Nigerians not to allow itself to be swayed by what it called “Recycled claims,” targeted at Nigerian institutions and public servants.

The statement read in part:

“The Honourable members named have assured the House leadership that they never had any such dealings as reported. One of the members has already instituted legal action to clear his name, while others affected have been encouraged to do the same in pursuit of justice and the protection of their reputations.”

The statement also said;

“It is also important to highlight that, with the active involvement of both the Nigerian and United States governments, this matter has evolved into a government-to-government engagement. Notably, in the course of high-level diplomatic discussions, the Federal Government of Nigeria has prioritised national interest over external commercial pressure, including rejecting financial settlement offers from Binance.

“These facts raise serious questions about the credibility and intent of the allegations being peddled.”

The House further noted with the matter already before a court of competent jurisdiction and remains the subject of ongoing diplomatic engagements, it will refrain from further comment in line with established parliamentary, judicial, and diplomatic principles.

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Source: Legit.ng