Air Peace Limited has said its legal team is working to ensure justice is served in the fresh fraud charges filed by the U.S. authorities against its Chairman and CEO, Allen Onyema, and Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha.
Onyema is facing new charges in a superseding indictment for allegedly obstructing justice.
He is accused of submitting false documents to the government in an attempt to shut down an investigation into earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering.
Eghagha is also implicated in the obstruction scheme and faces additional charges related to the initial bank fraud counts.
It was earlier reported that Onyema and Eghagha were initially indicted in 2019 on charges including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering.
The alleged scheme involved using false documents to purchase aircraft and laundering over $16 million in proceeds.
However, the company in a statement, said, “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.
“The dedication and focus of our staff remain steadfast as we continue to provide you with the best aviation experience in Nigeria and beyond.”
Meanwhile, the new obstruction charges suggest that Onyema attempted to use false documents again, this time to derail the investigation.
The case is part of a larger effort by law enforcement to combat financial crimes and protect the integrity of the US banking system. The investigation involves multiple agencies, including the DEA, IRS, and Homeland Security.
This was disclosed in a statement by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia on Friday.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan said, “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.
“The diligence of our federal investigative partners revealed the defendants’ alleged obstruction scheme, making it possible for the defendants to be held accountable for their aggravated conduct of attempting to impede a federal investigation.”
Buchanan revealed that Onyema has been linked to a complex financial scheme. According to the superseding indictment and court records: Onyema, founder of Air Peace (established in 2013), frequently visited Atlanta between 2010 and 2018.
Onyema was accused of opening multiple personal and business bank accounts in Atlanta. Over $44.9 million was allegedly transferred into these accounts from international sources.
