Sedina Tamakloe Attionu
A witness has told an Accra High Court that there
was no document accompanying a GH¢500,000 cheque issued by the former Chief Executive
Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Christine
Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, detailing the interest payable on the investment made
in Obaatanpa Microfinance Company Limited.
According to Samuel Quansah who is a board
member of now defunct Obaatanpa Microfinance, he was only given a paper to sign
when he went to the Secretariat of MASLCO to pick up the cheque to cash the
money.
He said the management of the microfinance
company were only informed about the interest payable on the investment by the
board chairman of the company, Seth Asiedu Obugyei.
The issue came up in the trial of the ex-MASLOC
boss when her lawyer, Agbesi Kwadzo Dzakpasu, during cross-examination demanded
whether there was a document which detailed the interest payable on the two
investments made by MASLOC in the private microfinance company.
There were conflicting views on the interest
rate as the lawyer claimed that the board chairman had indicated in his
statement to EOCO that the interest on the GH¢500,000 investment was 24 per cent
per annum as against claims by the witness that it was 48 per cent per annum.
The lawyer said one Salifu Kwame, who was the
manager of Obaatanpa, could have documents detailing the interest rates but the
witness told the court that the said Salifu Kwame could have documents on the
first investment (GH¢150,000) but there was no such document on the second
investment of GH¢500,000.
This led to a back and forth situation between
the lawyer and Mr. Quansah, who is the second prosecution witness in the trial.
“Are you aware that the Board Chairman, Nana
Obugyei, had indicated in his statement at EOCO that the interest on the
GH¢500,000 was 24 per cent?” the lawyer queried.
“My lord I’m not aware of the statement but as
I mentioned earlier, Nana Obugyei was directly dealing with Madam Sedina so his
version might be what Madam Sedina told him,” the witness replied.
Mr. Dzakpasu then asked, “Mr. Salifu Kwame, if
indeed he exists, should have information on both the GH¢150,000 and the GH¢500,000
investment. Is that correct?
“That is correct because he was managing the
company,” the witness replied.
“And Mr. Salifu Kwame can furnish the court
with documents supporting the interest payable on these investments. Do you
agree?” the lawyer asked.
“My lord with respect to the first one (GH¢150,000),
I agree but the second one (GH¢500,000), I don’t because the cheque did not
come with any accompanying documents. As I indicated yesterday, Mr. Seth Asiedu
told me to go for a cheque of GH¢500,000 from MASLOC for another investment.
When I went to the Secretariat of MASLOC, I only
mentioned that I was coming for a check for Obaatanpa and they gave me a paper
to sign. There was no document accompanying the cheque aside from the paper I
signed,” the witness insisted.
Identity
Mr. Dzakpasu then asked the witness if he or
any of the board members of Obaatanpa knew Ms. Attionu personally before the
first investment and he replied that he did not personally know the accused
person, adding “even now, I have never spoken to Madam Sedina.”
The witness in his evidence-in-chief had told
the court that he accompanied the board chairman to Batsona Total on the
Spintex road in Accra where he handed over MASLOC’s GH¢500,000 investment in
the company in a ‘Ghana must go’ bag as demanded by Madam Attionu.
The lawyer then asked him about his claim that
it was Ms. Attionu who was in the vehicle when he had never met her.
“That is correct but I knew her because she was
a public figure. Sometimes when watching TV you will see MASLOC having donated
or presented items to certain groups of people and you will see Madam Sedina
representing MASLOC,” Mr. Quansah replied.
Trial
Ms. Attionu and Daniel Axim, a former
Operations Manager of MASLOC, are facing 78 counts of charges including
conspiracy to steal, stealing, unauthorized commitment, resulting in a
financial obligation for the government; improper payment, money laundering and
contravention of the Public Procurement Act.
The two accused persons allegedly stole a total
amount of GH¢3,198,280 whilst at MASLOC and willfully caused a GH¢1,973,780
financial loss to the state.
Again, Ms. Attionu and her accomplice while in
charge of MASLOC allegedly made unauthorized commitments, resulting in
financial obligations for the government to the tune of GH¢61,735,832.50.
The charges against the two also include a
GH¢22,158,118.85 loss to public property and improper payment of GH¢273,743.66,
as well as money laundering of GH¢3,704,380 whilst in charge.
Hearing continues on January 8, 2020.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak
