Former MASLOC CEO Trial: I have never met her before, I only saw her on TV – witness

The witness who claimed to have handed over GH¢500,000 to former Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Center (MASLOC) Sedina Tamakloe Attionu has admitted he has never met nor spoke with her.

Mr. Samuel Quansah revealed this under cross examination by lawyer Agbesi Dakpasu who is representing the former MASLOC Boss.

Lawyer Dzakpasu had wondered how the witness was able to identify Mrs. Tamakloe Attionu using the rear view mirror of a car in which he claimed he was sitting.

The witness revealed that he has never had any form of encounter with the former MASLOC Boss raising questions as to how he was certain whoever he saw was the MASLOC Boss.

Samuel Quansah on Monday 25 November 2019, the first day of his evidence testified that he drove the board chair of Obaatanpa Microfinance to Batsona Total to hand over GH¢500,000 to Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.

Even though he admitted being in the car throughout the alleged incident, he claimed he was able to make out the former MASLOC Boss through the rear view mirror of the car in which he was sitting because he had seen her on TV earlier.

When asked when he watched the program in question, Samuel Quansah said he could not recollect.

Samuel Quansah, a board member of the Ejura based Obaatanpa Microfinance whose license has been withdrawn, is a key witness in the Attorney General’s case that Obaatanpa Microfinance allegedly handed over some GH¢500,000 to the former MASLOC CEO.

The money was supposed to have been returned to the center by the financial institution.

The witness also admitted to lawyer Agbesi that his evidence is heavily influenced by what he was told by the board chair instead of his personal knowledge.

Mr. Quansah also admitted he would be surprised if the board chair contradicted anything he said after his attention was drawn to the fact that the board chair in his caution statement said the GH¢500,000 loan was given to Obaatanpa at an interest rate of 2% instead of the 4% alleged by the former board member.

Sedina Tamakloe Attionu is facing trial alongside former Operations Manager of MASLOC, Daniel Axim for allegedly causing financial loss to the state. The two have been charged with 80 counts of stealing, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, conspiracy, contravention of the public procurement act, among other charges.