The United States Department of Justice has charged Nigerian Airline Air Peace CEO Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema for bank fraud and money laundering, alleging that he moved more than $20 million from Nigeria through the States bank accounts.
This allegation came to limelight in the early hours of today as revealed in a statement issued by the US DOJ. According to the statement, Air Peace CEO leveraged on his status to commit the fraud, using false documents based on the purchase of airplanes. The Air Peace CEO and businessman had allegedly travelled to Atlanta frequently after he launched his airline in Nigeria in 2013, where he purchased many airplanes for the airline. The documents used for the purchase, however, were reportedly fake. His Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, has also been charged with bank fraud and committing aggravated identity theft in connection with the scheme.The statement reads, “In years following the founding of Air Peace, he traveled to the United States and purchased multiple airplanes for the airline. However, over $3 million of the funds used to purchase the aircraft allegedly came from bank accounts for Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development, All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited, and Every Child Limited. Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema.
The letters of credit were purportedly to fund the purchase of five separate Boeing 737 passenger planes by Air Peace. The letters were supported by documents such as purchase agreements, bills of sale, and appraisals proving that Air Peace was purchasing the aircraft from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a business registered in Georgia. However, the supporting documents were fake — Springfield Aviation Company LLC, which is owned by Onyema and managed by a person with no connection to the aviation business, never owned the aircraft, and the company that allegedly drafted the appraisals did not exist. Eghagha allegedly participated in this scheme as well, directing the Springfield Aviation manager to sign and send false documents to banks and even using the manager’s identity to further the fraud. After Onyema received the money in the United States, he allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts“.Replying to the allegation levelled against him, the Air Peace CEO issued a press release, claiming that all the monies went through the Central Bank of Nigeria. He further stated that the American companies which received the funds are still in business, insisting that he never took a penny from any US or Nigerian bank.
“These are indictment that only contains charges. I am innocent of all charges and the US government will find no dirt on me because I have never conducted business with any illegalities. Be rest assured that I also have my lawyers on this and these mere allegations will be refuted. I never laundered money in my life, neither have I committed bank fraud anywhere in the world. Every Kobo I transferred to the US for aircraft purchase went through the Central Bank of Nigeria LC regime and all were used for the same purpose. Read also:Â Shocking: Cows Overrun Akure Airport, Prevents Incoming Air Peace Plane From Landing
The American companies that received the funds are still in business. I never took a penny from any US bank or Nigerian bank. I am willing to defend my innocence in the US courts“, Air Peace CEO’s statement reads.
Other statement released on behalf of the Air Peace CEO and his Executive Director as shared on the Airline’s IG page are below:
A press statement released on the Airline’s IG page on behalf of the Air Peace CEO Allen OnyemaA press statement released on the Airline’s IG page on behalf of the Air Peace Executive Director Mrs Ejiro Eghagha
The statement reads, “In years following the founding of Air Peace, he traveled to the United States and purchased multiple airplanes for the airline. However, over $3 million of the funds used to purchase the aircraft allegedly came from bank accounts for Foundation for Ethnic Harmony, International Center for Non-Violence and Peace Development, All-Time Peace Media Communications Limited, and Every Child Limited. Beginning in approximately May 2016, Onyema, together with Eghagha, allegedly used a series of export letters of credit to cause banks to transfer more than $20 million into Atlanta-based bank accounts controlled by Onyema.
Replying to the allegation levelled against him, the Air Peace CEO issued a press release, claiming that all the monies went through the Central Bank of Nigeria. He further stated that the American companies which received the funds are still in business, insisting that he never took a penny from any US or Nigerian bank.
