Emily Walker
A former executive from Binance has initiated a whistleblower lawsuit in the UK. She claims that a colleague solicited a bribe from a customer to provide him with special treatment.
Amrita Srivastava, a senior staff member located in London, alleges she was “wrongfully terminated” after voicing her concerns regarding this misconduct.
Details of Srivastava’s Lawsuit
During her tribunal session, Srivastava explained that a co-worker allegedly accepted money “under the pretense of offering consultancy services” to hasten a customer’s onboarding to the Binance platform, while falsely indicating he was not connected to the company.
Srivastava, who worked remotely on Binance’s Link platform—intended for external brokers and customers—filed her complaint against Binance Europe Ltd. She asserts that after reporting the bribery issue in April 2023, she was terminated just a month later.
According to Binance’s legal team, the company was already aware of the situation and asserted that her dismissal stemmed from claims of “poor performance,” not her whistleblower actions.
“The decision to terminate her employment for poor performance was made before the concerns she raised about an issue that was already known and under investigation,” Binance stated in response to inquiries from Bloomberg.
Allegations of Bribery by Former Executive
Having joined Binance in April 2022 after previously working at Mastercard, where she managed fintech for Western Europe, Srivastava was optimistic about making a difference in the company.
However, Bloomberg reveals that she found her experience at Binance to be challenging, describing the work atmosphere as “chaotic” and marked by pressure to secure deals amid financial difficulties in the Link department.
Srivastava shared a concerning interaction with a customer who alerted her to the supposed bribery. She stated, “I could not ignore the fact that someone deceived a customer. Requesting a bribe and defrauding a customer is clearly unacceptable.”
In its legal responses, Binance maintained that the company was proactively dealing with the bribery claim, emphasizing its commitment to addressing staff underperformance.
Whistleblower rewards in UK employment tribunals are unlimited, while unfair dismissal claims can amount to £105,700, about $133,000.
This lawsuit comes amid increasing regulatory scrutiny of Binance, especially in the US, where the company has faced significant legal challenges. In November 2023, Binance admitted to breaching US anti-money laundering and sanctions laws, resulting in a hefty $4.3 billion fine and the resignation of former CEO and co-founder Changpeng Zhao (CZ), who had already served a four-month prison sentence.
As of the latest updates, Binance’s native token, Binance Coin (BNB), is trading at $651, reflecting a 3% gain over the past 24 hours. However, it remains 9% below its peak of $717 reached earlier this year.
Featured image from DALL-E, chart from TradingView.com