Former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe will be extradited to face justice - Deputy A-G

Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, the Deputy Attorney General of Ghana, has announced the initiation of legal proceedings to bring Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, a former CEO of MASLOC (Microfinance and Small Loans Centre), back to Ghana to face justice.

Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, who is currently outside the country reportedly on medical grounds, has been sentenced to ten years in prison with hard labour in absentia.

The Deputy Attorney General affirmed that the process of extraditing Attionu has already commenced, emphasizing that the recent judicial ruling would expedite the legal procedures.

Speaking to the media after the ruling on April 16, 2024, Tuah-Yeboah stated, "We started the process, and with the judgment that is going to speed up the process. Ghana, we have various laws, you can stay away….rest assured that she will be brought down to face judgment."

She has been sentenced together with the former Chief Operating Officer of MASLOC, Daniel Axim, who is to spend five years behind bars with hard labour.

They were both found guilty on 78 counts of causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and causing loss to public property in contravention of the public procurement law.

The two have been on trial since 2019.

According to a report by citinewsroom.com, the state called six witnesses in all, with Sedina Tamakloe tried in absentia since she absconded after obtaining the permission of the Accra High Court to seek a medical checkup outside the country.

Background:

The prosecution alleged that the defendants embezzled GH¢3.19 million during their tenure at MASLOC and caused a deliberate financial loss of GH¢1.97 million to the state. Additionally, they were accused of making unauthorized commitments, resulting in financial obligations totalling GH¢61.74 million for the government.

Furthermore, the charges included GH¢22.15 million in public property loss, improper payment of GH¢273,743, and laundering of GH¢3.7 million.

In a significant development, the court granted the prosecution's request to proceed with the trial in Attionu's absence on February 24, 2023. This decision came after Attionu was permitted to travel to the United States in 2021 for medical treatment but failed to return.

Prior to the trial in absentia, on January 24, 2023, the court ordered former Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC) CEO Alex Mould and actor Gavivina Tamakloe to pay a GH¢5 million bail bond to the state due to their inability to produce Attionu, for whom they acted as sureties.

According to the prosecution's account, in 2017, the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) investigated fraudulent disbursements of MASLOC funds involving Attionu and Axim.

The investigations revealed that in June 2014, MASLOC invested GH¢150,000 in Obaatanpa Micro-Finance Company Limited, a licensed Tier II microfinance company in Ejura, Ashanti Region.

Attionu subsequently offered an additional GH¢500,000 investment to Obaatanpa, leading to the issuance of a MASLOC Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) cheque worth GH¢500,000 to Obaatanpa on July 24, 2014.

Upon receipt of the cheque, Attionu allegedly demanded a 24% interest rate from Obaatanpa. When Obaatanpa refused, Attionu demanded a cash refund. Obaatanpa obliged, returning GH¢500,000 in cash to Attionu on August 28, 2014.

Despite acknowledging receipt of the refunded sum in a letter dated August 28, 2014, investigations revealed that MASLOC had no record of the repayment. It was alleged that Attionu appropriated the GH¢500,000 for personal use.

Additionally, in 2015, MASLOC demanded interest payments on the principal investment from Obaatanpa despite the earlier refund. Subsequent investigations showed discrepancies, suggesting Attionu's misappropriation of funds.

AM/KOD