In a major legal victory, the District Court in Atlanta, Georgia, has exonerated Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, of all business fraud charges. This comes after a thorough three-year investigation involving multiple U.S. government agencies. The court found no loss or harm to any banks in the indictment filed by the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
The court, however, sentenced a former employee of Springfield Aviation Company Inc., Ebony Mayfield, to probation and a $4,000 fine. Mayfield, an administrative staff member with limited knowledge of Letters of Credit Transactions, had pleaded guilty to one count in the indictment.
According to a statement by the law firm Augustine Alegeh & Co., counsel to Air Peace, the case revolved around Letters of Credit used for purchasing aircraft for Air Peace. The firm emphasized that no fraudulent intent was involved and no financial loss was suffered by any bank. It also noted that there have been false reports in Nigeria regarding the indictment.
“Our clients never took loans or credit from any American bank, and no one suffered any financial loss,” the firm stated. They further clarified that Mayfield was only paid her bi-weekly salary, refuting claims that she received $20,000 to commit fraud.
This decision vindicates Allen Onyema and Air Peace, confirming that the funds involved were legitimate and that there was no criminal intent or financial loss to any parties. The law firm reiterated that all aircraft were lawfully brought into Nigeria for Air Peace operations, and Onyema’s innocence has been affirmed by various law enforcement agencies.
This ruling marks the end of a protracted legal battle for Onyema and a significant victory for Air Peace’s reputation.
