An Accra High Court has slapped a ten-year jail term on former Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu in hard labour while former Chief Operating Officer of MASLOC, Daniel Axim has also been handed a five year jail term also in hard labour. They were both found guilty on 78 counts of causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, improper payment of public funds causing loss to public property in contravention of the public procurement law. They have also been find various penalty points or in default serve additional terms. The Court further instructed prosecution, to take steps to initiate forfeiture proceedings against the assets of the convicted persons particularly Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, to recover monies lost to the state.
Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu and Daniel Axim were put on trial in 2019 and charged with 78 charges in total for causing a financial loss of GHc93,044,134.66 to the state. They were also charged for conspiracy to steal, stealing, and money laundering while Madam Attionu was separately charged for causing loss to public property, unauthorised commitment resulting in financial obligation for government, and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
The two were found guilty of all the charges levelled against them after the court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal sitting as an additional High Court Judge, reading from an 81-page judgement, held that the prosecution has led sufficient evidence against the convicts who were unable to put any reasonable defence for their roles in the matter. The court held that prosecution’s arguments that the said funds were misappropriated stands, because the convicts did not provide any proof to indicate that they were used for their intended purposes.
The court said some Heads of MASLOC where the said sensitisation programmes supposedly took place could not confirm same. Daniel Axim, in his defence told the court that he only acted on the orders from his then boss who was politically appointed, and could lose his job if he went contrary to the orders. The court disagreed with his position. Justice Asare-Botwe said Mr Axim did not show any proof that he demonstrated or used reasonable care in designing memos the 23 times for funds which were never used for the intended purpose. The court held that the claim that he was duty bound and acting under superior instruction is not a justification to absolve him. Justice Asare-Botwe said per his status, he could not be exempted from obliging his professional and legal duties under such excuse when he repeatedly raised memos for funds never used for its purpose.
The Court also expressed concern about how the 2013, Kantamanto fire victims were denied monies allocated to them to alleviate their suffering. The court further held that the action of the two former MASLOC officials have wilfully caused financial loss to the state in the purchase of the 350 vehicles, mobile phones and the 23 sensitization programmes that were not done although funds were released.
The court raised concerns over how vehicles and mobile phones purchased in bulk had thrice the value of those bought in single units. The court said there were several infractions which the convicts failed to offer an explanation to absolve them. On the part of the former CEO of MASLOC, the Court held that, she, disabled herself, from putting up a defense because she is on the run after she failed to return to the country after seeking leave of the court for a medical checkup in the United States.
The court had declared her a fugitive of the law, and conducted the trial in her absence and subsequently jailed her in absentia. The offences for which they were convicted and sentenced are stealing a total amount of GHc3,198,280 whiles at MASLOC and willfully causing a GHc1,973,780 financial loss to the state. Again, the convicts, according to the facts while in charge of MASLOC made unauthorized commitments resulting in financial obligations for the government to the tune of GHc61,735,832.50.
The charges against the two also include GHc22,158,118.85 loss to public property and improper payment of GHc273,743.66 as well as money laundering of GHc3,704,380 whiles in charge.
