Gifty
Amofa, GNA,
Accra, Jan. 21, GNA
– The Accra High Court has ordered the prosecution in the Microfinance and
Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), trial to produce the originals of the memos and
supplementary documents in evidence by January 27.
The Court presided
over by Justice Mrs Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe said the materials would be
inspected by the defence and then tendered in evidence by the Prosecution
witness.
It was after Mr
Francis Bandoh, a finance officer at MASLOC and a prosecution witness in the
case had given his evidence-in-chief and produced photocopies of those
documents but the counsel for Mrs Sedinam Christine Tamakloe Attionu, the
former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Mr Daniel Axim, a former Head of
Operations had objected to the photocopies.
Defence counsel
challenged that the documents were altered and that parts of the copies were
not clear and so called for the originals.
Led by Ms Winifred
Sarpong, Principal State Attorney Mr Bandoh was asked whether he would be able
to identify the receipt which was shown to him by the Deputy CEO signed by
former the CEO acknowledging receipt of the GH¢500,000.00 and he said yes.
Asked who is to
acknowledge receipts when debts were made at MASLOC, he said it was the
accounts office.
He told the Court
that there was a sensitization project and Mr Axim was the key architect but
the former CEO was engaged in most of it.
Asked whether the
Accounts Office, where he works played a role in the sensitization project, he
answered in the affirmative, saying that any project that involved spending was
monitored by the Unit including the sensitization project.
Mr Bandoh said any
cash exceeding GH¢500.00, meant that a cheque had to be issued and anyone in
charge of the project would send a memo to either the CEO or Head of Finance
before payment, the CEO had to approve, then a cheque would be written on a
cheque payment voucher.
He said the cheque
payment voucher would have portions for the one who prepared it, the one who authorize
it, the one who approves it and then the recipient before finance would pay.
He said he could not
put a finger on how many memos were sent by Mr Axim but he made available
photocopies of some documents he had brought to court.
Sedinam the former
CEO MASLOC has been charged for misappropriating State funds together with Mr
Daniel Axim, also former Operations Manager of MASLOC.
She has pleaded not
guilty to the charges of conspiracy, stealing, money laundering and willfully
causing financial loss to the state and has been granted bail in the sum of
GH?5 million with two sureties, whilst Axim has also pleaded not guilty to
conspiracy and stealing has been admitted to a bail in the sum of one million Ghana
cedis with one surety.
The Court had
earlier heard that, Sedinam was CEO of MASLOC from November 2013 to the January
2017 whilst Axim was the then Operations Manager.
In 2017, EOCO
conducted investigations into certain fraudulent disbursement of MASLOC funds
involving the two accused persons.
The audit revealed
that, in June 2014, MASLOC invested GH¢150,000.00 in Obaatanpa Micro-Finance
Company Limited, a licensed Tier II Micro-Finance Company located at Ejura in
the Ashanti Region.
Sedinam also offered
Obaatanpa a further investment of GH¢500,000.00 and as a result, a MASLOC
issued an Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) cheque dated July 24, 2014, in
the sum, of GH¢500,000.00 to be drawn in favor of Obaatanpa.
The Prosecution said
after Obaatanpa was issued the cheque, Sedinam informed the Board Chairman of
Obaatanpa that the money would attract a 24 per cent interest so the company
decided to return the money because of the high interest rate and issued a
cheque to that effect.
When the cheque was
presented, Sedinam declined it and asked for cash rather, upon which her
request was honoured on August, 24, 2014. Sedinam then wrote a letter to
acknowledge receipt of the money.
In 2015, per letters
some of which were under the hand of Sedinam, MASLOC made demands on Obaatanpa
for the interest on the principal amount of GH¢500,000.00, of which in response
Obaatanpa reminded MASLOC of the refunded money and particularly drew the
attention of Sedinam to the unjustified demand.
The Prosecution said
in 2017, when a new CEO took office, a demand notice was again sent to
Obaatanpa for the payment of the accrued interest of which Obaatanpa again
informed MASLOC of the payment but investigations revealed that MASLOC had no
record of the amount repayment in cash to Sedinam.
The Prosecution said
further investigations disclosed that in April 2016, Sedinam obtained the
approval of the MASLOC Board to utilize GH¢1,706,000.00 of MASLOC funds for a
nation-wide sensitization and monitoring programme for 85,300 beneficiaries of
MASLOC loans, where each of the beneficiary was to receive GH¢20.00 to cover
transportation and refreshment.
The Court heard that
between April and December 2016, Sedinam used her office to withdraw GH¢1,816,000.00
in three tranches, though the Board had approved of only GH¢ 1,706,000.00.
The prosecution said
other investigations revealed that out of the GH¢1,816,000.00 only GH¢1,300.00
was spent on refreshment for some beneficiaries in the Volta, Greater Accra and
Brong Ahafo Regions and also no such Programme took place in the other regions.
The Prosecution said
investigations also revealed that in 2013 following a fire disaster at the
Kantamanto market, the then President John Dramani Mahama directed MASLOC to
provide assistance of GH¢1,465.035.00 to victims, of which the money was to be
disbursed through Dwadifo Adanfo Savings and Loans Company Limited but Sedinam
allegedly appropriated GH¢579,800.00 out of the total amount.
The Prosecution said
in August 2016, Sedinam on behalf of MASLOC wrote to the Public Procurement
Authority (PPA) for approval to procure vehicles from Mac Autos and Spare Parts
Limited for the Ghana Private Roads Transport Union using sole-sourcing under
the PPA Act.
The Prosecution said
in October 2016, the PPA wrote to MASLOC requesting it to furnish it with
financial arrangements approved by the Ministry of Finance of which on December
5, same year, the then Minister for Finance wrote to the PPA to confirm
financial arrangements which were being put in place for the purchase of
vehicles.
The Prosecution said
however, without approval from PPA, Sedinam signed a contract with Mac Autos on
December 6, to supply MASLOC with 350 vehicles including 150 Chevy Aveo saloon
cars, 100 Chevy Sparklite and a 33-seater Isuzu bus.
Prosecution said
MASLOC applied for a tax waiver on all the vehicles, saying, the unit price
offered for the Chevy Aveo was GH¢74,495.00 but investigations revealed that
the actual price was GH¢47,346.93, whilst she gave that of the Chevy Sparklite
as GH¢65,095.00 whilst the actual price was GH¢35,918.37 and Isuzu 33-seater
bus as GH¢445,560.00 but the actual price was GH¢293,877.55.
The Prosecution said
earlier, in November 2016, MASLOC procured 200 pieces of Samsung B310 mobile
dual sim phones at GH¢93,412.00 under a project called PINCO Project Market
Survey, whilst the actual price was GH¢24,400.00.
The prosecution said
investigations further revealed that in January 2017, Sedinam without the
requisite approval and authorization caused to be paid to herself and her
deputy, one Mustapha Abubakar Batalima the sums of GH¢135,592.33 and GH¢82,218.76,
respectively as ex-gratia.
According to
Prosecution again in that same month, Sedinam caused to be paid to herself and
her Deputy GH¢28,445.94 and GH¢27,486.62, respectively.
GNA