In a significant legal victory, the District Court in Atlanta, Georgia, has cleared Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive of Air Peace, of all business fraud charges. This decision comes after a three-year investigation involving multiple US government agencies and subsequent legal proceedings.
While the court found no evidence of wrongdoing on Onyema’s part, it did impose a probationary sentence and a $4,000 fine on Ebony Mayfield, a former employee of Springfield Aviation Company Inc. Mayfield, who had limited knowledge of Letter of Credit transactions, pleaded guilty to one count in the indictment.
According to a statement from Augustine Alegeh & Co., Air Peace’s legal counsel, Mayfield’s plea and sentence reflect the minimal nature of her involvement in the case. The firm emphasized that there was no loss of funds to any bank or third party, and that Mayfield’s actions did not result in any financial harm.
The statement also refuted rumors circulating in Nigeria about the indictment, stating that Air Peace never took loans or credit from American banks and that Mayfield was not paid any substantial sum of money to commit fraud.
The court’s decision confirms Air Peace’s position that the Letters of Credit used for aircraft purchases were legitimate and executed in good faith. All funds involved were legitimate, and the aircraft were successfully brought into Nigeria and used for Air Peace’s operations.
Air Peace has consistently maintained its innocence and has cooperated with various law enforcement agencies in Nigeria. The company remains resolute in its assertion of innocence and will continue to operate its business without any hindrance.