Air Peace CEO Allen Onyema’s bank fraud trial in the U.S. may be moved to 2022 as the prosecutor, Garrett Bradford, handling his case, has requested a leave of absence from the court until January, a court filing seen by Peoples Gazette shows.

Mr Bradford, the U.S. prosecutor handling the criminal prosecution of Mr Onyema, sought an immediate leave of absence for medical reasons.

Specifically, Mr Bradford requested the leave to provide medical care for his family, according to a petition by Kurt R. Erskine, acting U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, on September 28.

“Movant (Mr Bradford) intends to take family leave to provide medical care to members of his immediate family. Accordingly, Movant requests a leave of absence from September 28, 2021, to January 10, 2022,” the court document said.

The U.S. indicted the Air Peace CEO in November 2019 for fraud and money laundering in the U.S.

Mr Onyema was alleged to have moved over $20 million from Nigeria through U.S. bank accounts, using false documents based on the purchase of aeroplanes.

While the trial was still pending in court, Mr Bradford would be away from September 28 to January 10, 2022, making room for the adjournment of Mr Onyema’s fraud trial.

Mr Onyema, indicted alongside another Air Peace executive, Ejiro Eghagha, had denied the allegations levelled against him by the U.S.

“None of the allegations involve any third party funds but relate to his funds utilised in the airline business. There is no allegation that any bank (in the United States, Nigeria or elsewhere), company or individual suffered any financial or any loss whatsoever,” he had said in a statement by his lawyers.

Mr Onyema did not return a request seeking comment from The Gazette on Thursday morning. But the airline executive has always maintained his innocence, saying American authorities misunderstood his financial transactions.