Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, a Nigerian air carrier, Allen Onyema, has denied allegations that he laundered more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts, a claim credited to the US Department of Justice.
The US Department of Justice on Friday charged Onyema and Ejiroghene Eghagha, the airline’s finance director in Atlanta, Georgia, for using front firms and NGOs for money laundering.
According to the Justice Department, Onyema allegedly leveraged his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive while using falsified documents to commit fraud.
In a statement issued by his lawyer, Mr. Onyema claimed that all allegations are false and do not reflect his personality as a business owner.
I never laundered money in my life, neither have I committed bank fraud anywhere in the world. Every kobo I transferred to the U.S. for aircraft purchases went through the Central Bank of Nigeria and all were used for the same purpose.
Onyema’s Attorneys have a released a public statement saying:
“On behalf of Allen Onyema, we hereby state that he strongly denies and will vigorously defend himself against the allegations made against him by the US Attorney in Atlanta, Georgia, in relation to purchase of aircraft, aircraft spares and aircraft maintenance”, the statement said.
None of the allegations involve any third party funds but relate to his funds utilized in the airline business. There is no allegation that any bank (in the United States, Nigeria or elsewhere), company or individual suffered any financial or any loss whatsoever.
The allegations are unfounded and strange to him. Allen Onyema has a track record built on honesty and integrity and will take all necessary steps to clear his good name and hard-earned reputation. He looks forward to an opportunity to rebut these allegations in Court.