…No prison, confinement or home detention sentence, says legal counsel
MARGARET CHIDERA
Nigerian entrepreneur, Mr Allen Onyema, has been absolved of all allegations of criminality as being erroneously insinuated in a section of the Nigerian media.
A statement from the chamber of A.O.Alegeh & Co. legal counsel, to Onyema and his airline, Air Peace Limited, said judgement by the United States Attorney for Northern District of Georgia on Friday, 28th October, did not indict Allen Onyema but admitted that there was no loss suffered by any bank.
The counsel maintained Onyema’s assertion of innocence against negative reports about him by the Nigerian Press.
The chamber of A.O. Alegeh in the statement yesterday read: “The indictment filed against Ebony Mayfield by the United States Attorney for Northern District of Georgia was conducted at the District Court in Atlanta, Georgia today.
“Ebony Mayfield, a former staff of Springfield Aviation Company Inc. was today given probation and a $4000 in respect of the criminal indictment filed against her by the United States Attorney for Northern District of Georgia after an investigation spanning over three years and involving about five agencies of the United States Government.
“Ebony was an administrative staff with limited knowledge in Letter of Credit transactions and pleaded guilty to one count in the indictment presumably as she realised the futility of attempting to explain several Letters of Credit utilised for purchase of Aircrafts for Air Peace Limited in a Jury trial.
“Probation is the lowest possible sentence available under the US Federal Law. Ebony was not given any prison sentence, confinement sentence or home detention by the court. This confirms the position of our Clients that there was no fraudulent intent in all the Letters of Credit, there was no victim in any way, manner or form. All the funds involved were legitimate funds binging to our Clients.
“There was no loss of money or damage whatsoever to any third party. The US Government in court today said that no Bank suffered any financial loss in this matter.”
The lawyer denied false and unsubstantiated press stories in the Nigerian media about the indictment of Ebony Mayfield.
“Our Client never took loans or credit from any US Banks and Ebony was never paid the sum of $20,000 at any time to commit any fraud, as is being peddled by a section of the Nigerian Press. Ebony, like any other Springfield Aviation Company Inc. staff was only paid her bi-weekly salary and/or allowances.
“These stories are far from the truth and are deliberately being peddled by a section of the Nigerian Press for ulterior motives.
“Our Clients maintain their innocence in the matter and state that all steps taken in respect of the Letter of Credit were taken in good faith and with legitimate funds. All the aircrafts involved were brought into Nigeria and utilised in the operations of Air Peace Limited.
“There was no loss of funds to any person and there was no criminal intent whatsoever,” the statement read.
