The District Court in Atlanta, Georgia, has acquitted Chief Allen Onyema, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Peace, of all business fraud charges. This decision comes after an exhaustive three-year investigation involving multiple American government agencies.
The court's ruling highlighted that there was no financial loss to any bank, as alleged in the indictment filed by the Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. However, the court imposed a probation sentence and a $4000 fine on Ebony Mayfield, a former administrative staff member of Springfield Aviation Company Inc. Mayfield, who had limited knowledge of Letter of Credit Transactions, pleaded guilty to one count in the indictment. The law firm Augustine Alegeh & Co., representing Air Peace, stated that Mayfield realized the futility of explaining several Letters of Credit used for purchasing aircraft for Air Peace Limited during a jury trial.
"Probation is the lowest possible sentence available under American Federal Law," the firm explained, emphasizing that false and unsubstantiated press stories in Nigeria had misrepresented the case. "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 by a section of the Nigerian Press."
The firm further clarified, "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."
The court's decision reaffirms the position of Air Peace and its executives, asserting that there was no fraudulent intent in the Letters of Credit transactions. "All the funds involved were legitimate funds belonging to our clients," the firm concluded, underscoring that there was no victim or criminal intent in the dealings.
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