Air Peace Limited has assured its customers that justice will prevail over an “expanded” charge by United States authorities alleging that its CEO and founder, Allen Onyema, obstructed justice by allegedly submitting false documents to halt a federal investigation.
Air Peace’s reaction is contained in a statement issued on Sunday, October 13, 2024.
This follows a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, announcing on Friday that “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.”
What Air Peace Is Saying
Reacting to the development, the airline’s management admitted that the charges levelled against its “post-holders” are part of an extended legal process stemming from earlier accusations of financial misconduct that date back several years.
It added that while the charges have been expanded, it is essential to emphasize that both Dr. Onyema and Mrs. Eghagha remain innocent as the case is pending in court.
“Our legal team is fully engaged with the matter and is working tirelessly to ensure that justice prevails.
“We remain confident that, through due process, the truth will be revealed and our CEO and co-defendant will be exonerated.
“It is important to note that Dr. Onyema and his legal team have consistently cooperated with authorities throughout this process, and Air Peace continues to operate without disruption, upholding our commitment to delivering top-notch services to our valued customers,” the statement partly read.
Air Peace reassured the public that the ongoing legal proceedings would not impact the safety, reliability, or day-to-day operations of the airline.
“The dedication and focus of our staff remain steadfast as we continue to provide you with the best aviation experience in Nigeria and beyond,” it added.
Backstory
In a press release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia on Friday, November 22, 2019, it was reported that Allen Ifechukwu Athan Onyema, CEO of Air Peace, had been charged with bank fraud and money laundering.
Onyema was said to have allegedly transferred over $20 million through U.S. bank accounts using falsified documents related to airplane purchases. Ejiroghene Eghagha, Air Peace’s Chief of Administration, was also charged with fraud and aggravated identity theft.
U.S. authorities stated that Onyema used his airline and nonprofit organizations to facilitate the fraudulent scheme, moving over $44.9 million between 2010 and 2018.
The investigation revealed that supporting documents for the transactions were falsified, and Onyema allegedly laundered over $16 million.
All these allegations are denied by Onyema.