The Chairman and founder of Air Peace, Allen Onyema has been indicted in the United States for impeding justice, accused of submitting fraudulent documents to hinder a federal investigation.
Onyema, together with Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, is already facing charges of bank fraud and money laundering in an ongoing case in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia disclosed Onyema’s obstruction of justice charges in a press release issued on Friday, October 11.
“Allen Onyema, the Chairman, CEO, and founder of Air Peace, a Nigerian airline, has been charged in a superseding indictment with obstruction of justice for submitting false documents to the government in an effort to end an investigation of him that resulted in earlier charges of bank fraud and money laundering.
“Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, was also charged for participating in the obstruction scheme, as well as in the earlier bank fraud counts,” the statement read in part.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office disclosed that Onyema and Eghagha supposedly utilized fake export letters of credit to move more than $20 million into U.S. bank accounts from 2016 to 2018.
The funds were allegedly meant for acquiring five Boeing 737 aircraft for Air Peace, but investigations revealed that documents like purchase agreements and appraisals were forged.
The company identified as the seller, Springfield Aviation, was owned by Onyema and had no legitimate connection to aviation.
The statement also indicate that after the initial charges of bank fraud and money laundering, Onyema and Eghagha purportedly tried to hinder the investigation by instructing a person managing Springfield Aviation to sign a backdated contract.
Onyema’s attorneys later submitted this contract to U.S. authorities in an effort to halt the investigation and unfreeze his bank accounts, which led to additional charges of obstruction of justice.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan stated that Onyema allegedly used his airline as a front for fraud and later attempted to derail the investigation. He highlighted that federal investigators’ diligence helped expose the obstruction scheme, holding the defendants accountable.
“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 law officers alleged.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan remarked that the thoroughness of their federal investigative partners uncovered the defendants’ alleged obstruction scheme, allowing for accountability regarding their serious actions to obstruct a federal investigation.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division, emphasized that these cases illustrate the Drug Enforcement Administration’s dedication to identifying and holding accountable individuals involved in fraud and money laundering.
The statement also mentioned that this case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force operation, which focuses on high-level criminal organizations that threaten U.S. financial systems.
Onyema and Eghagha are presumed innocent until proven guilty, with the U.S. government tasked with proving the charges beyond a reasonable doubt as the trial moves forward.
Reacting, the management of Air Peace has stated that its Chief Executive Officer, Allen Onyema, remains innocent in the series of charges levelled against him by the United States Department of Justice.
The airline noted that while the case involving its CEO and the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, is still in court, such will not affect its daily operations, according to a statement signed by the airline’s management on Sunday and posted on its X handle.
The statement noted that the charges levelled against the duo are “part of an extended legal process stemming from earlier accusations of financial misdeeds that date back several years.
“While the charges have been expanded, it is essential to emphasise that both Dr Onyema and Mrs Eghagha remain innocent and these are mere allegations, and the case is still in court.”
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