Prince Harry, Meghan Markle Worked With Nigerian Fugitive Wanted In US For $20M Fraud, Money Laundering
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's welcoming committee in Lagos, Nigeria, reportedly included a fugitive wanted in the United States.
Dr. Allen Onyema, the CEO and chairman of Nigerian airline Air Peace, was among the group of dignitaries who welcomed the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Lagos when they arrived in the city on May 12.
The Daily Mail reported that the 59-year-old businessman currently faces charges in the U.S. in connection with an alleged $20 million money laundering and bank fraud scheme.
Prince Harry and Markle used Onyema's Air Peace to fly from the nation's capital Abuja to Lagos as part of their three-day tour of Nigeria.
A video published by the outlet showed Onyema standing next to the Sussexes as the group watched a performance held in honor of the royals' arrival.
Onyema, who wore a navy outfit, red kufi hat, and sunglasses, was captured chatting with Markle at one point.
There was no indication that Prince Harry and his wife knew of the charges against Onyema at the time.
According to the Daily Mail, the duke and duchess' original plans did not involve flying Air Peace, but they had to switch to the airline at the last minute for an undisclosed reason.
In November 2019, the U.S. Department of Justice announced that Onyema was charged with 27 counts of money laundering, three counts of bank fraud, three counts of credit application fraud, and two conspiracy charges for allegedly "moving more than $20 million from Nigeria through United States bank accounts in a scheme involving false documents based on the purchase of airplanes."
Onyema and an associate "allegedly laundered over $16 million of the proceeds of the fraud by transferring it to other accounts," according to the statement.
"Onyema set up various innocent sounding multi-million dollar asset purchases which were nothing more than alleged fronts for his scam," said Robert Hammer of the Homeland Security Investigations' Georgia and Alabama divisions.
Onyema allegedly used the money, in part, to fund a luxury lifestyle, which included buying expensive cars and designer clothing, CNN reported, citing court documents.
U.S. Attorney Byung J. "BJay" Pak said in a statement at the time that Onyema "allegedly leveraged his status as a prominent business leader and airline executive while using falsified documents to commit fraud."
Onyema has denied any wrongdoing, and the charges against him remain pending.
"I never laundered money in my life, neither have I committed bank fraud anywhere in the world," he said in a 2019 statement obtained by CNN. "Every Kobo (of Nigerian currency) I transferred to the US for aircraft purchase went through the Central Bank of Nigeria LC regime and all were used for the same purpose."
He added, "The American companies that received the funds are still in business. I never took a penny from any U.S. bank or Nigerian bank. I am willing to defend my innocence in the U.S. courts."
After wrapping up their visit to Nigeria, Markle and Prince Harry returned to California Angeles on May 14 and reunited with their two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The couple was able to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary Sunday at home.
