The District Court in Atlanta, Georgia, has exonerated the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Air Peace, Allen Onyema, of any wrongdoings related to business fraud after three years of investigation involving about five agencies of the American government and the subsequent legal fireworks.
The court, which discovered that there were no losses against any bank in the indictment suit filed by the Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, however, ordered a probation and $4,000 fine against a former staff of Springfield Aviation Company Inc., Ebony Mayfield, last Friday.
According to a statement by the counsel to the Nigerian Airline, the law firm of Augustine Alegeh & Co., Mayfield was an administrative staff of Springfield with limited knowledge of Letter of Credit Transactions.
Mayfield had pleaded guilty to one count in the indictment, presumably as she realised the futility of attempting to explain several Letters of Credit utilised for the purchase of aircraft for Air Peace Limited in a jury trial.
The firm explained that probation is the lowest possible sentence available under American Federal Law.
The firm also noted that there have been false and unsubstantiated stories in Nigeria about the alleged indictment.
“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.
