After an extensive three-year investigation involving multiple United States government agencies, the District Court in Atlanta, Georgia has acquitted Chief Allen Onyema, the CEO of Air Peace, of all fraud charges. The court concluded that no financial losses were incurred by any banks, refuting claims made in the indictment filed by the Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
While chief Onyema was cleared of any wrongdoing, Ebony Mayfield, a former administrative staff member of Springfield Aviation Company Inc., was fined $4,000 and placed on probation last Friday. Mayfield, who had limited knowledge of Letter of Credit transactions, pleaded guilty to a single count in the case. Her decision to plead guilty is thought to stem from the complexity of explaining the technicalities of the transactions in a jury trial.
In a recent statement from Augustine Alegeh & Co., the law firm representing Air Peace, Mayfield’s role was described as administrative, with no involvement in the financial aspects of the company’s transactions. The firm emphasized that probation is the lowest sentence available under U.S. federal law, and addressed misinformation circulating in Nigeria regarding the case.
The statement clarified that Air Peace never took out loans or credits from any American bank, debunking claims that Mayfield had received $20,000 to commit fraud. “There was no financial loss or damage to any party, and the U.S. government acknowledged in court that no bank was harmed in the process,” the firm said.
The court’s ruling aligns with Air Peace’s long-standing defense that the Letters of Credit used to purchase aircraft were legitimate. All funds involved in the transactions were provided by Air Peace’s clients and were used in good faith.
“All aircraft purchased through these transactions were brought to Nigeria and are in active use in Air Peace’s operations. There was no victim, no financial loss, and no fraudulent intent,” the law firm reiterated.
The firm also noted that Nigerian law enforcement agencies have conducted their own investigations and found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing by Onyema or Air Peace. The airline’s legal team continues to assert their clients’ innocence and maintain that the transactions were lawful and
transparent.
