The District Court in Atlanta, Georgia, has cleared Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace, of any business fraud allegations after a thorough three-year investigation involving several U.S. agencies.
Despite the legal scrutiny, the court found no evidence of wrongdoing against Onyema.
The court did, however, impose a probation and a $4,000 fine on Ebony Mayfield, a former administrative staff member of Springfield Aviation Company Inc., last Friday.
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The decision followed Mayfield’s guilty plea to a single charge in the indictment.
Mayfield’s role involved handling Letters of Credit used to purchase aircraft for Air Peace Limited, though her knowledge of such transactions was limited.
According to a statement from Air Peace’s legal representatives, the law firm of Augustine Alegeh & Co., the court’s verdict confirmed that no financial institution suffered any losses due to the transactions in question.
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The firm clarified that probation is the lightest sentence permissible under U.S. federal law.
The statement also dismissed rumors circulating in Nigeria about the alleged indictment, insisting that the case did not involve any financial losses or fraudulent activities.
“Our clients never took loans or credit from any American bank,” the firm emphasized, adding that Mayfield was never paid $20,000 to commit any fraudulent act, contrary to some reports.
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Furthermore, the American government admitted in court that no bank incurred any financial damage due to the case.
The legal team stressed that all funds involved in the transactions were legitimate, and the aircraft purchased were legally imported into Nigeria and used in Air Peace’s operations.
“Our clients have consistently maintained their innocence, as no fraudulent intent was present in any of the Letters of Credit,” the law firm stated. “There was no victim, no financial loss, and no criminal motive.”
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The firm also highlighted that multiple Nigerian law enforcement agencies have reviewed the case and found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing against Air Peace or its CEO.
They reaffirmed that all actions taken regarding the Letters of Credit were conducted in good faith with legitimate funds, solidifying their clients’ stance of innocence.
