Former MASLOC CEO charged, over GH¢129.5m missing cash

A former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, has been hauled before the Accra High Court by the Attorney-General (A-G) for allegedly causing financial loss of more than GH¢129.5 million to the state.

Attionu, who was the boss of MASLOC from November 2013 to January 2017, has been charged together with Daniel Axim, a former Operations Manager of MASLOC.

The two have been charged with 80 counts, including stealing, conspiracy, wilfully causing financial loss to the state and causing loss to public property.

Other charges are improper payment of public funds, unauthorised commitment resulting in a financial obligation for the government, money laundering and contravention of the Public Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).

Attionu and Axim are expected to appear before the Criminal Division of the Accra High Court on Monday, February 4, 2019 to answer to the charges levelled against them.

The A-G’s Department has a litany of allegations against Attionu and Axim in the facts that accompanied the charge sheet filed at the court.

For instance, it accused Attionu of embezzling GH¢500,000 that was paid by a company which benefitted from MASLOC support in 2014.

Attionu’s prosecution is the fourth bordering on ‘causing financial loss to the state’ and procurement infractions initiated by the A-G, Ms Gloria Afua Akuffo, against government officials in the immediate past administration.

Already, the A-G is prosecuting Dr Stephen Kwabena Opuni, a former CEO of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Ernest Thompson, a former Director-General of the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT) and William Tetteh-Tevie, a former Director-General of the National Communications Authority (NCA).

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