MASLOC audit report: Allow state institutions to deal with it logically – Baako

Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Newspaper, Kwaku Baako Jr has suggested that state institutions should be given the mandate to handle the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) scandal to its logical conclusion.

Making his submissions on JoyNews’ Newsfile, Kwaku Baako asserted that it would be appropriate to allow state institutions investigate the matter, taking into consideration the fact that the issue was being handled by the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO).

“I do not want to go back and do the things that we used to do way back. We should give the appropriate institutions of state the opportunity to deal with this thing to its logical conclusion. It will be useful if we give the institutions of state the chance to do further interrogation and come up with it”, the astute journalist posited.

He also called for the need to look out for the legalities involved in the commissioning of the audit report since the absence of a legal backing could hinder the progress of the process.

“EOCO appears to be the institution that commissioned this forensic audit which was part of its investigations. I didn’t bring my Act here but I won’t be surprised if EOCO has that authority to commission private firms to do things. We need to check that grey area so that in terms of legality because if it turns out that the thing wasn’t legally based, it could create headaches for prosecution eventually”, he added.

An audit report making rounds in the media claims that former CEO of MASLOC, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu withdrew ¢500,000 invested with Obaatampa Microfinance but failed to pay the amount back into the accounts of MASLOC, among other offences.

Her lawyers have dismissed the contents of the report as defamatory and have threatened to sue any media house that maligns her.

The report cited Mrs. Tamakloe Attionu, her predecessor Bertha Sogah of widespread acts of corruption, inflation of prices for projects with several millions of cedis misappropriated.



Other officials, including the Head of Operations and Finance at MASLOC were not left out of the alleged misappropriation.