Air Peace airplanes bought with stolen billions from Amnesty Programme – US DoJ

Kingsley Kuku, former Chairman of Presidential Amnesty Programme and special adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan on Niger Delta Matters. Photo credit: independent.ng

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Air Peace airplanes bought with stolen billions from Amnesty Programme – US Department of Justice

The United States Government describes Allen Onyema as Kingsley Kuku’s business partner, who laundered at least $44m through US bank accounts

Air Peace, which was launched in 2013, is Nigeria’s largest carrier with a fleet size of about 23 airplanes.

United States Department of Justice (US DoJ) has alleged that Air Peace airplanes were bought by Kingsley Kuku, the former head of office, with stolen billions from the Presidential Amnesty Programme, according to a recent media reports.

Kinsley Kuku served as Special Adviser to the President on Niger Delta Affairs and was Chairman of the Presidential Amnesty Office under President Goodluck Jonathan, who served from 2010-2015

The United States Department of Justice (DoJ) also alleged that funds were transferred to bank accounts in the United States, U.S, where they were laundered and used to purchase airplanes to start Air Peace as well as luxury homes and vehicles, according to THEWILL.

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The exclusively reports that the US DoJ, which has been conducting a discreet investigation into Kingsley Kuku and Air Peace, according to sources with knowledge of development, formally wrote to the Nigerian Government under the Treaty for Mutual Legal Assistance between both countries and asked for the transfer of the case files of investigations conducted on Mr. Kingsley Kuku, who coincidentally was deported from the United States last year by the Department of Homeland Security over immigration fraud.

Allen Onyema, the airlines’ CEO, Prince Chibudom Nwuche, a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who allegedly laundered at least $8m from the Amnesty programme and other individuals and companies linked to Onyema.

The United States Government describes Allen Onyema as Kingsley Kuku’s business partner, who laundered at least $44m through US bank accounts.

The U.S DoJ in another letter about three weeks ago asked the Nigerian Government for bank account records of “Air Peace Limited, Ifechukwu Allen Athan Onyema, Tarere Vivenne Kuku alias Nnamani Chika Vivienne, All Times Peace Media, Every Child Limited, Foundation of Ethnic Harmony in Nigeria and Allen Onyema and Company, Global Spectrum Energy Services Plc” amongst others, from April 1, 2010 till present.

In November last year, the United States DoJ in a statement announced Allen Onyema’s indictment and charge for bank fraud and money laundering for moving more than $20m from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of the air airplanes.

It also said the airline’s Chief of Administration and Finance, Ejiroghene Eghagha, was charged with bank fraud and committing heightened identity theft in connection with the scheme.

U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak said that Onyema had allegedly leveraged his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive while using falsified documents to commit fraud.

Air Peace, which was launched in 2013, is Nigeria’s largest carrier with a fleet size of about 23 airplanes.

The revelation by the US DoJ clearly poses multiple challenges and risks for the airline if the US government successfully prosecutes the charges of money laundering in court.

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