Air Peace airline, on Sunday, rose in a strong defence of its Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Allen Onyema, and the airline’s Chief of Finance and Administration, Mrs. Ejiro Eghagha, who were slammed with additional charges bordering on obstruction of justice in the United States.
The US Attorney’s Office had, in a statement issued last Friday, declared that Onyema has been charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice for submitting false documents to the government to scuttle an investigation which culminated in the earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering against him.
Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, has also been charged for allegedly participating in the obstruction scheme, as well as in the earlier bank fraud counts.
The latest charges add to the earlier 36 charges of conspiracy, money laundering, bank fraud, credit application fraud, and identity theft slammed against Onyema and Eghagha on November 19, 2019.
A third defendant, an American lady, Ebony Mayfield, was charged and tried by a US District Court for helping to facilitate the $20 million fraud between May 2016 and February 2018.
Mayfield was sentenced in September 2022 and got three years’ probation. She escaped the prison sentence because she pleaded guilty early before the commencement of her trial. So, the Air Peace Chairman Onyema remains wanted in the United States.
Superseding indictment
On Friday, Onyema’s problems were compounded when the US Attorney’s Office said he has been charged in a superseding indictment. In it, he was accused of submitting false documents to US authorities in 2019 in an effort to stop the investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts regarding the alleged $20 million bank fraud.
“After allegedly using his airline company as a cover to commit fraud on the United States’ banking system, Onyema, along with his co-defendant, allegedly committed additional crimes of fraud in a failed attempt to derail the government’s investigation of his conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan.
In the superseding indictment, Onyema was alleged to have fraudulently transferred more than $44.9 million into his Atlanta-based accounts from foreign sources between 2010 and 2018.
Onyema and Eghagha were also accused of fraudulently applying for letters of credit for the transfer of funds from a Nigerian bank account to the bank account of Springfield Aviation LLC, an Atlanta-Georgia-based company owned by Onyema, between 2016 and 2017.
The said letters of credit were purported to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace and were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals.
“The documents purported to show that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia,’ Buchanan continued in the statement.
“However, the supporting documents were allegedly fake – Springfield Aviation Company LLC was owned by Onyema and managed on his behalf by a person with no connection to the aviation business, and Springfield Aviation never owned the aircraft. The company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist.”
Our Bosses are innocent-Air Peace
On Sunday, Air Peace rose in stout defence of their Chairman, as the Chief of Finance and Administration, Eghagha, in a statement, insisted that the duo are innocent of all accusations.
The airline said it appreciated the concerns of the Nigerian public on the matter. However, it firmly assured that there was no cause to worry because its legal team are on top of the situation and justice will prevail at the end of the day.
Here is the full statement:
“Air Peace Limited is aware of the recent media reports concerning our esteemed Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Allen Ifechukwu Onyema and Chief of Finance and Administration, Mrs Ejiro Eghagha in line with the latest legal charges filed by the U.S. Department of Justice. We understand that this may have raised concerns, and we wish to address these reports directly.
“These charges levelled against our post-holders are part of an extended legal process stemming from earlier accusations of financial misdeeds that date back several years.
“While the charges have been expanded, it is essential to emphasize that both Dr. Onyema and Mrs. Eghagha remain innocent and these are mere allegations, and the case is still in court. Our legal team is fully engaged with the matter and is working tirelessly to ensure that justice prevails. We remain confident that, through due process, the truth will be revealed, and our CEO and co-defendant will be exonerated.
“It is important to note that Dr. Onyema and his legal team have consistently cooperated with authorities throughout this process, and Air Peace continues to operate without disruption, upholding our commitment to delivering top-notch services to our valued customers.
“We want to reassure the public that these legal proceedings will not impact the safety, reliability, or day-to-day operations of Air Peace. The dedication and focus of our staff remain steadfast as we continue to provide you with the best aviation experience in Nigeria and beyond.
“We thank our customers and flying public for your continued support and understanding during this time, and we remain committed to serving you with excellence and integrity.”
