Caption: Air Peace CEO,Allen Onyema
Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema troubles is not yet over.
He has been charged with new charges by U.S. authorities, accused of allegedly obstructing justice in an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering activities.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia filed a superseding indictment against Onyema and Air Peace’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, for allegedly submitting false documents to impede the federal probe.
Onyema, under scrutiny since 2019, is accused of funnelling over $20 million from Nigeria through U.S. bank accounts by using fraudulent documents under the pretence of purchasing aeroplanes.
Eghagha faces additional charges of aggravated identity theft linked to the scheme.
U.S. Attorney Ryan Buchanan, in a statement on Friday, outlined the fresh charges, emphasizing the defendants’ alleged attempts to obstruct the investigation.
“Onyema, using his airline as a cover, allegedly defrauded the U.S. banking system and then attempted further crimes to derail the government’s probe,” Buchanan said.
The U.S. government claims Onyema and Eghagha used fraudulent export letters of credit to transfer over $20 million into accounts in Atlanta, supposedly for the purchase of five Boeing 737 aircraft.
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However, the documents supporting these transactions, including purchase agreements and appraisals, were allegedly falsified.
The planes were to be acquired from Springfield Aviation Company LLC, a Georgia-registered entity owned by Onyema, which never owned the aircraft.
Both Onyema and Eghagha could now face significant legal consequences as U.S. authorities continue to unravel the complex financial dealings of Air Peace’s leadership.
source:Global Financial Digest
