Ghanatodayonline.com News, Politics, Health, Education & More
Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), who is on the run, and Daniel Axim, the head of operations who was placed under arrest, were both sentenced to a total of 15 years in prison.
Judge Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe sentenced Mrs. Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu to ten years in prison and Daniel Axim to five years.
Each of the convicted individuals was also fined by the court.
This came about when the two were convicted on all 78 counts, including purposefully causing financial loss to the Republic, by the Financial and Economic Division of the High Court, which was chaired by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal.
A conspiracy to steal, to cause financial loss to the State, to cause damage to public property, to improperly pay public funds, to commit an unauthorized act that puts the government in financial default, to money launder money, and to violate the Public Procurement Act are among the 78 counts.
The court questioned why the state is not bothering to apply for extradition so that Interpol may apprehend the initial accused—the one who stands to gain the most from the crime.
The first accused, Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu, and the second accused, Daniel Axim, a former MASLOC operations manager, are accused of stealing and causing the state to suffer financial losses of GHC93 million, among other offenses.
The two defendants are facing 78 accusations total, including money laundering, illegal payment, unauthorized commitment that results in a financial obligation to the government, theft, and violation of the Public Procurement Act.
While working at MASLOC, the two accused reportedly stole GHC3,198,280 in total and purposefully caused the state to suffer financial loss of GHC1,973,780.
Tamakloe Attionu and her accomplice reportedly made illegal agreements while in charge of MASLOC, which resulted in financial liabilities for the government totaling GHC61,735,832.50.
The two are also accused of misappropriating GHC273,743.66, losing GHC22,158,118.85 to public property, and laundering GHC3,704,380 when they were in control of MASLOC.
Source: Ghanatodayonline.com
