Why Air Peace Boss, Allen Onyema Boycott Inaugural London Flight

Although it was not surprising to those in the know that Air Peace Boss, Allen Onyema did not fly into London with the airline’s inaugural flight from Lagos to London Gatwick yet, many were curious to later found out that he did not make the trip. All the flamboyant ceremony of the flight in which he prominently headlined was mere photo oops.

It was gathered that his boycott has to do with an ongoing money laundering investigation that has international dimensions. Due to this, the airline boss is smart enough not to walk into the Interpol dragnet in the United Kingdom.

He was however well represented in the flight by his wife and a team of his dependable lawyers , in case if anything goes amis

It would be recalled that in 2019, the US Department of Justice issued an indictment against Allen Onyema, on the grounds of money laundering and bank fraud. Onyema was accused of falsifying documents used for the purchase of aeroplanes for Air Peace and using those to fund purchases of luxury cars.

Sources explained that it now clears on why the airline has to opt for wet lease even though they have the capacity to acquire a separate aircraft for the route. With this arrangement, a source said, so much searchlight would not be beamed on Onyeama.

Alleged fraud
Between November 2016 and October 2017, prosecutors said, Mr Onyema applied for export letters of credit to cause the transfer of funds from a Nigerian bank account for Air Peace to Springfield Aviation’s bank account, “purportedly to fund the purchase of aircraft by Air Peace from Springfield Aviation”.

Springfield Aviation, according to court documents, was established by Mr Onyema in the U.S. State of Georgia in April 2016 purportedly to specialise in “the wholesaling, trading/ and sale of commercial aircraft and parts”.

Prosecutors say Mr Onyema and other conspirators submitted false documents, including fabricated purchase agreements, bills of sale, and valuation, purportedly to enable Air Peace to buy five Boeing 737 passenger planes from Springfield Aviation.

They also alleged that he founded and used Springfield Aviation “to facilitate large transfers of funds from his Nigerian bank accounts to the United States.”

He allegedly moved about $15 million from Springfield Aviation’s account with a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Atlanta, Georgia, to his personal savings account with the same bank in 27 transactions in 2017.

The flagged 27 transactions took place between 22 March and 29 November 2017.

Mr Onyema and Air Peace Limited’s Head of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, are facing 36 charges at the District Court in Atlanta, in connection with the alleged $20 million fraudulent scheme.

Among the charges preferred against them are bank fraud, credit application fraud and money laundering.

Each of the flagged 27 online transfers carried out by Mr Onyema within nine months in 2017 involved values ranging from $100,000 to $1 million.

The transactions totalled $15.14 million.

Each of the 27 transactions stands alone as a charge of money laundering