The U.S. Department of Justice has charged Allen Onyema, the founder and CEO of one of Nigeria’s largest airlines, Air Peace, on charges of bank fraud and money laundering for illegal movement of more than $20 million, reported CNN.
According to US officials and federal court documents, Onyema is accused of moving the money from Nigeria and other sources through American bank accounts in a scheme that involved organizations he founded and false documents related to the purchase of airplanes.
Onyema is facing 27 money laundering charges, three bank fraud charges, three credit application fraud charges, and two conspiracy charges. It is alleged that he used some of the money to pay for living expenses, luxury cars, and high-end shopping.
“Onyema allegedly leveraged his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive while using falsified documents to commit fraud,” US Attorney Byung Pak said in a news release on Friday. “We will diligently protect the integrity (of) our banking system from being corrupted by criminals, even when they disguise themselves in a cloak of international business.”
Onyema has denied all the allegations in a statement. He said he is innocent of all charges and that he has never conducted business with any illegalities. The Air Peace CEO had earned praise this year after dispatching planes to offer free flights to Nigerians facing xenophobic violence in South Africa.
“Be rest assured that I also have my lawyers on this and these mere allegations will be refuted,” Onyema said. “I never laundered money in my life, neither have I committed bank fraud anywhere in the world.
The U.S. Justice Department has also charged Ejiroghene Eghagha, the Nigerian airline’s chief of administration and finance, with bank fraud and identity theft in connection with the alleged scheme.
Onyema and Eghagha’s lawyers said their clients are willing to defend their innocence in the US courts.
