Court orders sureties to pay GHC 5 million bail bond in trial of former MASLOC boss

The High Court(Financial and Economic Division) has ordered the former CEO of the GNPC, Mr. Alex Mould, and Gavivina Tamakloe, the two persons who stood as sureties for the former MASLOC boss to pay the bail bond of GHC 5 million to the state.

This comes after the failure of the sureties to produce the accused person as of December 22. 2022 pursuant to the court’s earlier order.

Therefore on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, the presiding judge, Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe(JA) declined a request by the accused’s lawyers premised on a letter from doctors in the United States.

She noted that the entire 16 months already spent by the accused was enough and could not give any extension for any further treatment in the U.S. and that there was nothing in the letter to the effect that the accused was incapable of traveling or standing trial.

“taken a close look at a letter filed by lawyers of the accused person emanating from a doctor in the United States, but there is nothing in the letter saying she is incapable of traveling or she is not fit to stand trial”.

It appears this is a case of someone who has chosen to stay in the US for some medical tourism reasons. The entire 16 months delay or more is more than enough time given."

The judge thus ordered the two sureties the settle the bail bond.

Background

The former MASLOC boss and the first accused person, Miss Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu, and one Daniel Axim, a former Operations Officer of MASLCO, are facing trial for allegedly stealing and causing financial loss to the state to the tune of GHC93 million.

Therefore, they are facing a total of 78 charges, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, improper payment, money laundering, and the Breach of the Public Procurement Act.

According to the particulars of the charges, the accused persons allegedly stole GHC 3,198, 280 and willfully caused financial loss to the state to the tune of GHC 1,973,780.

Also with reference to unauthorized commitment, the two are alleged to have caused financial obligation amounting to GHC61,735,832.50 to the government.

They are further accused of making the state lose an amount of GHC22,158,118.85 and GHC273,743.66 to public property and improper payment and a further GHC3,704,380 to money laundering.

However, after pleading not guilty to the charges in 2019, Miss Attionu has not shown up in court in the last 16 months after being granted permission to travel to the USA for medical treatment.

In November last year, the presiding judge upon the expression of her displeasure about the situation, issued a bench warrant for her arrest to stand trial.

Subsequently, an application was directed at the two sureties to show any cause why they should not be made to pay the bail bond.

They were then ordered by the court to produce the former CEO of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre(MASLOC) by December 22, 2022.

This deadline was afterward extended by the court pursuant to processes filed by lawyers for the accused person.