The District Court in Atlanta, Georgia, has cleared Allen Onyema, the CEO of Air Peace, of any corporate wrongdoing. This comes after a three-year investigation involving approximately five American federal agencies, as well as the legal fireworks that followed.
The court, which discovered no loss against any bank in the indictment complaint filed by the Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, sentenced probation and a $4000 fine against Ebony Mayfield, a former Springfield Aviation Company Inc. employee, on Friday.
A statement by the law firm of Augustine Alegeh & Co., counsel to the Airline, explained that Mayfield was an administrative staff member of Springfield with limited knowledge of Letter of Credit Transactions. She pleaded guilty to one count in the indictment, presumably because she realized the futility of attempting to explain several Letters of Credit used to purchase aircraft for Air Peace Limited in a jury trial.
Probation, the firm explained, is the lowest possible sentence available under American Federal Law. The firm noted that there have been false and unsubstantiated stories in Nigeria, about the indictment.
“Our clients never took loans or credit from any American Bank and Mayfield was never paid the sum of $20,000 at any time to commit any fraud, as it is being peddled in some quarters.
“There was no loss of money or any damage whatsoever to any third party. The American government admitted in Court that no bank suffered any financial loss in the matter.
“Mayfield, like other Springfield Aviation Company Inc. staff, was only paid her bi-weekly salary and/or allowances,” it clarified.
According to the firm, the decision confirmed the position of its clients that there was no fraudulent intent in all the Letters of Credit, because there was no victim in any way, manner or form.
It explained that all the funds involved were legitimate funds belonging to its clients. “Our clients maintain their innocence in the matter and state that all steps taken in respect of the Letters of Credit were taken in good faith and with legitimate funds.
“All the aircraft involved were brought into Nigeria and utilised in the operations of Air Peace Limited. There was no victim. There was no loss of funds to any person and there was no criminal intent whatsoever.
“Our client’s position has been reviewed by various Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria and no evidence of criminality has been established against them. Our Clients remain resolute in the assertion of their innocence,” the firm declared.
