Trial of former MASLOC boss adjourned to April 20
Sedinam Tamakloe and 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.
The High Court (Financial and Economic Division) has adjourned to April 20, 2023, the trial involving former MASLOC Boss, Ms Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu, and one another.
Sedinam Tamakloe and 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.
At its last sitting on February 24th, the court ruled to try her absentia, grounding its decision on Article 19:3(a) of the 1992 Constitution which states that the trial of a person charged with a criminal offence shall take place in his presence unless “he refuses to appear before the court for the trial to be conducted in his presence after he has been duly notified of the trial.”
Background
The former MASLOC boss Mr. Daniel Axim 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 (former CEO of the GNPC, Mr. Alex Mould, and Gavivina Tamakloe) 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.
But on January 24, 2023, the court ordered the sureties to pay the bail bond of GHC 5 million to the state.
