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Following the conclusion of the indictment filed against Ebony Mayfield, an American and former staff of Springfield Aviation Company, who was accused to have played a key role in an alleged bank fraud case against Nigeria’s Air Peace founder, Allen Onyema, the United States government has admitted there was no loss suffered by any bank.
This comes as Mayfield was also not given any prison sentence, confinement or home detention by the Court.
The indictment was filed against Mayfield by the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia at the District Court in Atlanta, Georgia on Friday, October 28, 2022.
In a statement issued by A.O. Alegeh & Co Legal Practitioners & Notaries Public, a law firm and Counsel to Allen Onyema, Ejiro Eghagha and Air Peace Limited stated that the clean bill given to Mayfield has confirmed “the position of its clients that there was no fraudulent intent in all the Letters of Credit, there was no victim in any way, manner or form and all the funds involved were legitimate funds belonging to its clients.”
According to the law firm, “Mayfield, a former staff of Springfield Aviation Company Inc. was today (Friday) given Probation and a $4000 fine 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 US Government.
“Mayfield was an administrative staff with limited knowledge in Letter of Credit Transactions and pleaded guilty to one count in the indictment, presumably as she realized the futility of attempting to explain several Letters of Credit utilized for purchase of Aircraft for Air Peace Limited in a Jury trial. Probation is the lowest possible sentence available under US Federal Law.
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“There was no loss of money or any damage whatsoever to any third Party. The US Government admitted in Court today that no Bank suffered any financial loss in this matter.”
The law firm while stating how there have been false and unsubstantiated stories in Nigeria, about the Indictment and Ebony Mayfield, emphasized that its clients never took loans or credit from any US Bank and Mayfield was never paid the sum of $20,000.00 at any time to commit any fraud, as is being peddled by a section of the Nigerian press.
A.O. Alegeh & Co Legal Practitioners & Notaries Public explained that Mayfield, like other Springfield Aviation Company Inc. staff was only paid her bi-weekly salary and/or allowances, adding that 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 Letters of Credit were taken in good faith and with legitimate funds. All the aircraft involved were brought into Nigeria and utilized in the operations of Air Peace Limited. There was no victim. There was no loss of funds to any person and there was no criminal intent whatsoever.
“Our clients’ position has been reviewed by various Law Enforcement Agencies in Nigeria and no evidence of criminality has been established against our Clients. Our Clients remain resolute in the assertion of innocence,” the law firm stated.
Reacting to this development, spokesman of Air Peace, Stanley Olisa said he was relieved and happy that the section of the media that for several months have been peddling false reports against Onyema could see why no response was given to them, saying; “because when the truth comes out no one can hide it.
“We knew the source of those false reports and we decided to wait them out. We know that truth would eventually indict them and that is what has happened. In fact, the feelers we are getting is that concerned authorities in the US were aghast that a section of media in Nigeria was preempting the case and did not feel good about it. So Nigerians will know that all those distorted reports were done out of mischief. We know the truth would come and we decided to wait them out.”
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