16 October 2024 , 18:17
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The U.S. has brought new charges against the CEO of a Nigerian airline, accusing him of falsifying documents to obstruct an ongoing investigation into earlier allegations of bank fraud and money laundering.
Air Peace CEO, Allen Onyema, was indicted for obstructing justice and impeding an investigation that had previously led to charges of bank fraud and money laundering against him.
The new indictment was issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia, charging him with “obstruction of justice by submitting false documents to the government in an effort to dismiss charges of bank fraud and money laundering.”
A second Air Peace executive, Ejiroghene Eghagha, faces similar charges in addition to previous charges related to bank fraud.
The airline assured its customers that the legal proceedings “will not impact the safety, reliability, or day-to-day operations of Air Peace,” emphasizing that “while the charges have been expanded, it is essential to note that both Dr. Onyema and Mrs. Eghagha remain innocent, and these are mere allegations, as the case is still in court.”
The airline’s legal team “is fully engaged with the matter and is working tirelessly to ensure that justice prevails,” the statement said.
The original charges of bank fraud and money laundering were brought against Onyema in 2019.
Prosecutors alleged that he used falsified documents to move over $20 million from Nigeria to U.S. bank accounts under the guise of purchasing aircraft for his airline. The funds were reportedly transferred through a series of fraudulent letters of credit, with fake documentation from a company Onyema controlled.
U.S. authorities also accused Onyema of laundering $16 million in fraudulent proceeds.
The 2019 indictment also charged Eghagha with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
Both denied the charges.