Sedinam, former CEO of MASLOC, accused of stealing, causing financial loss

General News on Thursday, January 31, 2019

Source: Starrfmonline.com

2019-01-31

Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, former general manager of the Microfinance and Small Loans Center (MASLOC), and former MASLOC operations director, Daniel Axim, have been charged by 80 charge leaders with theft, causing a financial loss to the state, causing losses to public property, undue payment of public funds, unauthorized commitment entailing a financial obligation to the government, money laundering and violation of the law on public procurement.

Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, the first accused, served as Executive Director of the Microfinance and Small Loans Center (MASLOC) from November 2013 to January 2017. The second defendant, Daniel Axim, is the former Director of MASLOC Operations. MASLOC is a government agency created to help small and medium-sized businesses with low interest rate loans.

The facts of the case

According to the succinct facts contained in the indictment filed in the registry of the criminal chamber of the High Court of Accra, in 2017, the Office of the fight against organized and economic crime (EOCO) investigated some MASLOC fraudulent disbursements involving the 1st and 2nd accused.

The survey revealed that in June 2014, MASLOC invested 150,000 GH ¢ in Obaatanpa Micro-Finance Company Limited (Obaatanpa), an approved Tier II microfinance company located in Ejura in the Ashanti region.

Subsequently, the first accused offered Obaatanpa a further investment of 500 000 GH ¢. As a result, a check from the MASLOC Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) dated July 24, 2014, in the amount of 500,000 GH ¢, was used in favor of Obaatanpa.

Shortly after Obaatanpa received the MASLOC check, the first accused informed the chairman of Obaatanpa 's board of directors that the amount of the investment of 500 000 GH ¢ would attract an interest from 24%. Obaatanpa decided to return the amount to MASLOC, the interest rate claimed by the defendant being too high and unprofitable for his company, and issued a check for repayment of the loan amount.

The facts further indicate that, upon presentation of the check, the 1st accused refused to accept it and requested a cash refund. A cash amount of 500 000 GH ¢ was handed over to the first accused by the chairman of Obaatanpa's board of directors on the night of 28 August 2014 at Baatsona's total filling station located on Spintex Road at Accra. By letter of August 28, 2014, the first accused acknowledged receipt of the refund amount.

In 2015, by letters, some of which were in the hands of the accused, MASLOC had asked Obaatanpa to pay interest on the main investment of 500 000 GH ¢.

In response to these requests, Obaatanpa wrote to MASLOC to remind him of the payment of the loan amount and drew the attention of the first accused to the unjustified requests for which the claims had ceased.

In 2017, when the new CEO of MASLOC took office, a notice of application was again sent to Obaatanpa for the payment of interest accrued on the same amount of investment of 500 000 GH ¢ , following which Obaatanpa has again informed MASLOC that already reimbursed since 2014.

The investigation subsequently revealed that MASLOC had no record of the amount paid to it and that the first accused had allocated the amount of 500 000 GH ¢.

The investigation also revealed that "in April 2016, the first defendant had obtained the approval of the MASLOC board of directors allowing him to use the sum of 1 706 000 GH ¢ MASLOC funds for a national outreach and follow-up program for 85,300 MASLOC loan recipients.

Each of the 85,300 targeted beneficiaries was to receive Twenty Ghana Cedis (20 ¢ GH) to cover transportation and refreshments. Between April and December 2016, under the authority of the first accused, a total sum of GH 1,206,000 was withdrawn in installments and was received by the first and second accused, although the MASLOC board approved a sum of GH ¢. 1,706,000.

Once again, investigations revealed that, of GH 1 16 6 000, only GHG 1 300 was spent on refreshing certain beneficiaries in the Volta, Grand Accra and Brong-Ahafo regions and that 39, no program has been set up in the other seven regions.

In its brief facts, the State further noted that investigations had revealed that prior to the Board's approval, the first accused had also acquired 246,280 GHCs for training, awareness raising and financial literacy.

Investigations revealed that in 2013, following a fire at the Kantamanto market, then-president John Mahama ordered MASLOC to provide badistance to a number of people. amount of 1 465 035 GH ¢ to the victims of the incident.

The money however had to be paid through the savings and credit company Dwadifo Adamfo (Dwadifo Adamfo). The state investigation would have revealed that the first defendant had appropriated 579,800 GH ¢ on a sum of 1 465 035 GH ¢.

In August 2016, the first accused on behalf of MASLOC wrote to the Authority for Public Procurement (PPA) for permission to provide vehicles to Mac Autos and Spare Parts Ltd (Mac Autos) for the GPRTU using the sole-sourcing method under the Law on Public Procurement. . In October 2016, the APP wrote to MASLOC asking for a financial arrangement approved by the Ministry of Finance.

On December 5, 2016, the then Minister of Finance wrote to the PPA to confirm the current financial arrangements for the purchase of vehicles. Without any approval from PPA, the first accused signed a contract with Mac Autos on December 6, 2016 to supply MASLOC with 350 vehicles including 150 Chevrolet Aveo buses, 100 Chevrolet Sparklite buses and 33 Isuzu buses. MASLOC has requested a tax exemption on all vehicles.

The unit price offered by Mac Autos to MASLOC for the Chevrolet Aveo was GH ¢ 74,495 ($ 18,883.39). However, the investigations revealed that Mac's actual retail price for the same model in the same tax-free year was GH ¢ 47,346.93 ($ 12,009.91).

The unit price offered for the Chevrolet Sparklite was GG 65 095.00 ($ 16 500.63), while the actual price offered by Mac Autos during the same period, without duties, was $ 35 918.37. GH ¢ ($ 9,104.77).

For 33-seat Isuzu buses, the proposed unit price at MASLOC was 445,560 GHAC (US $ 112,942.96), but the actual retail price without duties was GHT 293,877.55 (US $ 74,493.67). ).

In November 2016, MASLOC again purchased 200 pieces of Samsung B310 dual sim mobile phones as part of a project called the PINCO Project Market Survey.

The investigations revealed that, even though the actual price of the phones in the open market was 24,400 GH, the first accused bought them at a price plus 93,412 GH.

Additional verifications also revealed that in January 2017, the 1st person charged, without the necessary approval and authorization, had been made to pay to herself and her deputy, Mustapha. Abubakar Batalima, the amounts due respectively to 135,592.33 GH ¢ and 82,218.76 GH ¢. gratia.

In addition, in the same month, the first accused person was ordered to pay to herself and her substitute cash payments of 28,445.94 GH ¢ and 27,486.62 GH ¢, respectively, place of a holiday, in violation of the law.

The charges

Chief One (1) to thirty-five (35) is charged with theft and conspiracy to commit a crime of stealing in violation of subsections 23 (1) and 124 (1) of the 1960 Act. criminal offenses (Law 29). The Chiefs thirty-six (36) to sixty-eight (68) are causing a financial loss to the state, voluntarily cause money to the state and conspiracy to commit a crime including intentionally causing money to the state, which is contrary to section 23 (1) and 179A (3) (a) of the Criminal Offenses Act 1960 (Act 29). Seventy-Seventy-one (71) Chiefs are concerned about the loss of public property, in violation of Section 2 of the Public Property Protection Act, 1977 (SMCD 140) .

In addition, seventy-two (72) and seventy-three (73) counts were forfeited as payment of public funds, contrary to paragraph 96 (1) (c) of the Act. 2016 on the management of public finances (Law 921). . The seventy-four charge accuses the first accused, Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, of unauthorized engagements entailing a financial obligation to the government in violation of Article 96 (1) a) of the Financial Administration Act, 2016 (Bill 921). The seventy-five (75) to seventy-eight (78) counts have a preference for money laundering charges contrary to paragraph 1 (1) (c) of the Criminal Code. Anti-Money Laundering Act (Act 749) 2008 and finally seventy (79). and eighty (80) charges of violation of the Public Procurement Act in violation of subsections 92 (1) and 40 (1) (a) of the Government Procurement Act, 2003 (Act 663).

First sitting of the hearing

Unless otherwise agreed, the accused should be brought to justice for their charges to be read to them and for their plea to be heard on Monday, February 4, 2019.