The Accra High Court has handed down a 10-year prison sentence with hard labour to Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, the former CEO of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Tru News Report has gathered.
Additionally, Daniel Axim, a former COO of MASLOC, has been sentenced to five years in jail for hard labour.
The court found them guilty on 78 counts, including causing financial loss to the state, theft, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and causing loss of public property in violation of public procurement law. This trial has been ongoing since 2019.
On 24 February 2023, the court approved a request by the prosecution to proceed with the trial in Attionu’s absence.
She had been allowed to travel to the United States in 2021 for medical treatment, but she has not returned since then.
Background
Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu, the primary defendant, and Daniel Axim, the secondary defendant who previously served as the operations manager of MASLOC, faced multiple charges in court.
These charges were in connection to allegations of theft and causing financial loss to the state, amounting to GHC93 million, along with various other offences.
In total, the two defendants are confronted with 78 charges, which include conspiracy to steal, actual theft, unauthorized commitments leading to financial obligations for the government, improper payments, money laundering, and violation of the Public Procurement Act.
During their tenure at MASLOC, the two defendants are accused of stealing a total of GHC3,198,280 and intentionally causing financial loss to the state amounting to GHC1,973,780.
Additionally, while holding positions of authority at MASLOC, Tamakloe Attionu and her accomplice allegedly made unauthorized commitments that resulted in financial obligations for the government totalling GHC61,735,832.50.
Furthermore, the charges against the defendants also encompass a loss of GHC22,158,118.85 to public property, improper payment of GHC273,743.66, and money laundering amounting to GHC3,704,380, all of which occurred during their tenure at MASLOC.
