MASLOC trial: GH¢75k journalists cash can’t be traced

Seventy-five thousand and five hundred Ghana Cedis (GH¢75,500.00) approved by Christina Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu, former Chief Executive Officer (ECO) of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), as Honorarium for the media cannot be traced.

The amount was allegedly meant for media participation in a sensitisation programme organised by MASLOC, in part of the Greater Accra Region.

Whether the amount was received by the alleged media participants has become a bone of contention.

Meanwhile, Daniel Axim, a former Head of Operations at MASLOC, who worked directly under Sedinam, said he cannot remember anything concerning this amount.

Axim stated this in his witness statement, which was adopted as his evidence-in-chief by an Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe, a Court of Appeal judge, with additional responsibility of the High Court on Monday, this week.

Axim has been accused alongside runaway Sedina on 78 counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, stealing, contravention of the public procurement Act, among other charges.

Collectively, the two are said to have caused financial loss to the Republic of Ghana to the tune of GH¢90 million between 2013 and January 2017.

Nevertheless, Axim has absolved himself from any wrongdoing, since he only acted on the instructions of Sedina.

He explained under cross-examination that the public service, unlike the private sector, MASLOC has a very dense political climate, as it is directly under the Office of the President and controlled by the Chief of Staff.

He said MASLOC staff have no right to question who qualified for loan and for any staff who tries to be rigid on people who are preferred by politicians to be given loans may end up losing his or job.

The second accused (A2) told the court that Sedinam(A1), currently being tried in absentia, from time to time instructs him to prepare memo for release of funds for sensitisation programme across the country.

When the account office releases the funds, A2 will collect it and hand everything to Sedinam in her office.

After the sensitisation programme, A1 will not pay the participants immediately, but would insist that she will do so later.

However, A2 could not testify whether the participants truly received those monies later or not because A1 sometimes travels to the region by herself.

Axim denied ever handling GH¢2,003,800.00 nor taking GH¢579,800.00 MASLOC money.

Funds that he prepared memos for and same were received by him to be given to Sedinam were between GH¢84,000.00 and GH¢204,000.00 specifically for sensitisation programmes in the various regions.

It was his defence that the CEO can order him as Head of Operations to grant loans without assessing the credit worthiness of the client within a day.

“It appears to me that MASLOC is a ‘father Christmas’ at the discretion of the political head. A minister of state can minute on a piece of a complimentary card to me through the CEO for loan and I must comply,” he said.

A2 evidence-in-chief

My name is Daniel Axim. I live at Dansoman, Accra.

I am currently on interdiction at MASLOC. I was employed and I worked as Head of Operations at MASLOC. When I joined MASLOC in 2010, I was assigned as District Coordinator at Tema.

Then I was promoted as Area Manager for the Tema Zone. I was further promoted to Compliance Director/Manager for the whole institution (MASLOC) and relocated to the National Office.

After my relocation to the National Office, there was another promotion so I became the Head of Operations.

That I can identify Al and the Prosecution Witnesses.I am aware that the Auditor General has not conducted any Auditing into the activities of MASLOC and for that matter I have never been surcharged for any wrong doing about the implementation of any of the projects of MASLOC.

My Lord, I know PW1, Dr Stephen Amoah, who wrote a letter to the Auditor General to stop the auditing its office had undertaken.

At MASLOC, a CEO can order me as Head of Operations to grant loans without assessing the credit worthiness of the client within a day.

At the same time, I do not have the power as Head of Operations to arrest a vehicle for non-payment of a loan facility, as the CEO will be instructed to ask me to release the vehicle with apology to the owner or risk dismissal.

It appears to me that MASLOC is a Father Christmas at the discretion of the political head. A minister of state can minute on a piece of a complimentary card to me through the CEO for loan and I must comply.

The Auditor General stopped their auditing into MASLOC activities because PW1 said he had gotten instruction from the Chief of Staff to halt the process and based on that the Auditor General indeed stopped. I was not surcharged for any wrongful act as mandated in the constitution.

Why did the Al give you a total GH¢20,000.00 as you stated in your statement to EOCO tendered by the prosecution as exhibit. Al got to know during an office conversation that I had been married for 11 years without a child and she also got to know that I was doing IVF for my late wife.

In fact, she knew that it was expensive and asked how I was managing that with my small salary. She then decided to give me small assistance anytime she felt like doing so. This was not unusual of political heads giving money to staff on their own at all.

The office is a small place so the political heads get involved with our private matters because they want votes all the time and also they want us to be committed to the work.

MASLOC in general is a financial institution under the office of the president. The chief of staff is our immediate supervisor and he or she gives instruction to the CEO for implementation, even though the board is there as figure head.

There are compliance department as well as the internal audit. Even though all financial transactions are supposed to be approved by the head of the internal audit department, it does not function that way at all in MASLOC because it’s fully politicised and controlled by the chief of staff and that was why PW1 could stop the Auditor General of the Republic.

All the workers, including myself, must obey the CEO or be dismissed. Myself, the Accountant (PW5) and the Compliance Manager, one Peter Dadzie, knew that Al took the money for sensitisation T&T, yet none of us could complain or risk being sacked, especially when she says she will go back to do disbursement later on.

That I have never been surcharged by the Auditor General for any activity of MASLOC in its operations andthere is no financial liability on my part during my operations at MASLOC as declared by the forensic Auditors.

My role in the sensitisation program. The sensitisation program with payment of T&T to participants was introduced by Al when she took office. I was the Head of Operations at that time and sensitisation is our routine work, but without T&T to participants.

Al decided to present cheques to groups by herself, because of certain complaints against the regional managers by participants and also sensitise them as well.

This was approved by the board and as a public servant my job was to help the C.E.O to execute her project.

So anytime she visited a Region or any place in the country for sensitisation, she calls me to her office and instructs me to prepare a memo for her approval and necessary action.

So, my role was to prepare the memo and after the money is cashed out by the Accounts office, any of us will be called to collect same for Al and on a few occasions, I did collect the money for her.

I stated this to the forensic Auditors and a copy of my statement was given to her and she never denied that I collected all those moneys for her.

Before Al instructed me to draw the program for 2016, she told me at her office that she had conducted the sensitization in 2015 alone with her team in some Regions and it was very successful so she wants to replicate the program in the whole country and she has gotten approval from her General Secretary of her party since the program will improve their fortunes in the villages.

In 2015 I was still the Head of Operations at MASLOC, but I never knew that the C.E.O had done sensitisation with other staff and it was successful. I was very surprised when she said that to me and more especially when I saw the figures through the Auditors Report.

It is clear from the exhibits that all the 2015 transaction, I did not raise any memo as I did not even know, not until I was told by A? in 2016.

Upon the instructions, I drafted the program for her and she edited it and sent same to the board for approval and later a copy of the approval letter was given to me for my necessary actions.

That I have not conspired with A1 to steal GH¢114,000.00 belonging to MASLOC. On 16/06/2016 an amount of GHc 114,000.00 was withdrawn by the account’s office of MASLOC and I was called by the Accounts office to take the money for Al, which I complied, collected the money and gave it to Al in accordance with her instructions.

This figure is supposed to be disbursement for BrongAhafo& Volta Regions. This amount is stated in the Auditors Report. In so far as I am concerned, part of the GH¢114,000.00 was used for the programme as shown in the Auditors Report and the rest was with A1.

I personally took part upon Al’s instruction so I disbursed the funds given to me by Al after she had finished her talk with the participants in parts of Volta Region. The money was disbursed according to the list generated by the regional managers.

COUNT 6

I did not steal the money given to me to disburse during the program as shown in the Auditors Report. With regard to GH¢114,000.00, I generated the memo as the whole project had been approved by the Board.

Al usually calls me to her office and she will tell me what she intends to do in a particular Region and she will request me to generate the memo for her approval, accordingly which, I did as part of my official duties,

COUNT 7 

With regard to an amount of GHc 228,000.00 as stated in counts 7&8, Al called me to her office and instructed me to do a memo for her to do sensitisation in Ashanti and Western Regions and I complied since the board had approved of the project. I only performed my job by raising the memo for her approval.

COUNT 8 

I have not stolen any money amounting to GH¢228,000.00 belonging to MASLOC. After I prepared the memo for Al, she dealt personally with account office and this particular money was prepared in 2 tranches.

I was called by the Accounts office as usual to pick the GH¢228,000.00 in all for Al, which I did and handed the whole amount to her personally and she said thank you. I am fully aware that indeed the sensitisation was done in those Regions but I am not aware if any money was paid as T&T.

In fact, in the regions that Al does not want to give money to the participants, she leaves the pregame without giving me anything after she had delivered her speech. In fact, before 1 attend sensitization with her, I would not know whether she will be giving them T&T or not she decides alone what to do with the money collected. I am only a public servant at MASLOC.

COUNT 9 

I know I did not conspire with Al to steal the amount of GH¢204,000.00 belonging to MASLOC as the Head of Operation. Al called and instructed me to prepare a memo for sensitization pregame for Upper West, East and Northern Regions of Ghana and I complied as the program had been approved by the board. I only performed my public service function.

COUNT 10 

Concerning the amount of GH¢204,000.00 I only prepared the memo for the approval and processing by Al. When the money was ready, I was called by the accounts office to pick the money for Al, which I did and I gave all the amount of GH¢204,000.00 to A1. I stated this to the forensic Auditors. A copy of the statement was given to her and she never denied that I gave all the money to her for the sensitization.

I must state that I took part in the sensitisation in the Upper East and Upper West regions with the Deputy CEO without Al. Before 1 left to those two Regions, Al told me that her Deputy will take charge of the program so I believed that the Deputy CEO will give me the needed funds for the disbursement, but after we finished with the talk the Deputy told me, when I asked for the money, Al said she will come and do it herself and 1 kept quiet.

However, in the Northern Region, I also took part and this time Al came herself, but no money was disbursed to my knowledge after the talk and we left for Accra.

I want to put it on record that apart from what Al did in 2015 without me, she visits regions without me and she does this a lot so when she says after sensitization she will come back and disburse funds, I do not challenge her since she can go to do disbursement without me. However, I will not know whether indeed she goes to do it or not.

COUNT 11 

Per the program approved by the board, Al called me to her office and requested me to prepare a memo for sensitization program in Eastern and Central Regions of Ghana involving GH¢ 192,000.00, which I did. Since the Board had given approval, I did my job as a public servant to the C.E.O without any intention to commit crime with or without Al. The Forensic Auditors did not query me for any wrong doing on the memos I prepared.

COUNT 12 

After I had prepared the memo for her approval and processing, Al dealt with the accounts office for the money to be cashed out from the bank. I was called by the accounts office to take the money for Al, which I did and I gave all the money to Al. Al did not deny this before the Forensic Auditors and the Audit Report stated that indeed I gave the money to her.

I have never dishonestly appropriated any such amount so there is no evidence before this Honorable court that I have stolen an amount of GH¢ 192,000.00 belonging to MASLOC. The Auditors Report in evidence states that I gave the money to A1 in “line of duty” as can be seen in page 12 of the report tendered as exhibit…

COUNT 13 

I know I only prepared a memo in respect of the amount of GH¢158,000.00  to Al for approval and processing. I remember Al called me to her office and asked me to prepare a memo for sensitization program in part of Greater Accra, part of Volta and part of Upper West regions, which I did without any intention to commit crime with or without Al. I only performed my duties as public servant as requested by Al.

COUNT 14 

That I know after preparing the memo, the accounts office worked on the approved memo and got the funds ready for Al. I was called upon by the accounts office to take the money for A1 and I did and gave the money to Al personally and she said thank you. Al did not deny this fact before the Auditors.

I know I took part in the sensitization program in all the 3 regions with Al. I do not know or remember that I disbursed any money to participants as their T&T in any of the three Regions. After every speech she leaves without giving any money and I always believed her when she says she will do it herself later with the Regional Managers.

COUNT 16 

That I know I did not conspire with Al to commit any crime. With regard to the amount of GH¢ 162,000.00…I only prepared a memo for A1 to do sensitization in part of Brong/Ahafo, Upper East and Western Regions.  The project had been approved by the board of MASLOC and I performed my work as a public servant.

COUNT 17 

Al invited me to her office and asked me to prepare a memo for sensitization in those regions. Upon preparing the memo for her approval and processing, the accounts office released the money to me for Al, which I did and she said thank you.

However, upon completion of the talk in those Regions during the seminar Al told me, when I approached her for the money for disbursement, that she will come back later to do it and I said thank. I do not know whether she went back to do it as the money was with her.

COUNT 18 

That | have not conspired with AI to steal an amount of GH¢ 138,000.00… The role | played was to prepare a memo for approval for sensitization at Ashanti Region. | prepared the memo according to her instructions, she approved of it and had processed and she received the total amount accordingly.

COUNT 19 

After Al approved the memo I prepared she sent it to accounts and when the money was ready the accounts office called me to pick it for Al which | did and the forensic Audit report confirmed that indeed I gave the amount of GH¢ 138,000.00 to Al.

It is true I went with AJ to Ashanti Region for the sensitization but after her speech Al told me she will come again and do the disbursement with the regional manager and 1} do not know whether she went to do it or not. | gave the money to her and evidence is in the Auditors Report tendered by the prosecution…

COUNT 20 

That 1 did not conspire with Al to commit any wrongdoing in relation to GH¢50,000.00 belonging to MASLOC, I only prepared a memo for sensitization based upon instruction of Al. The entire project had been approved by the board already so we the staff of MASLOC are to implement with Al and I performed my part.

COUNT 21 

What I know about the amount of GH¢50,000.00 is that AI told me that she was to do sensitization at Northern, Eastern and Central Regions and therefore she needed that amount as already approved by the board and I prepared the memo and she approved.

When the money was ready accounts office called me to pick it for Al which I did. I gave all the GH¢50,000.00 to her and she collected it and said thank you. The project had been approved by the board of MASLOC and I performed my work as a public servant.

COUNT 17 

Al invited me to her office and asked me to prepare a memo for sensitization in those regions. Upon preparing the memo for her approval and processing the accounts office released the money to me for Al which I did and she said thank you.

However, upon completion of the talk in those Regions during the seminar Al told me, when I approached her for the money for disbursement, that she will come back later to do it and | said thank. I do not know whether she went back to do it as the money was with her.

COUNT 18 

That I have not conspired with Al to steal an amount of GH¢ 138.000.00…The role I played was to prepare a memo for approval for sensitization at Ashanti Region. | prepared the memo according to her instructions, she approved of it and had processed and she received the total amount accordingly.

COUNT 19 

After Al approved the memo I prepared she sent it to accounts and when the money was ready the accounts office called me to pick it for Al which I did and the forensic Audit report confirmed that indeed | gave the amount of GH¢ 138,000.00 to Al.

It is true I went with Al to Ashanti Region for the sensitization but after her speech A\}l told me she will come again and do the disbursement with the regional manager and 1 do not know whether she went to do it or not. I gave the money to her and evidence is in the Auditors Report tendered by the prosecution…

COUNT 20 

That 1 did not conspire with Al to commit any wrongdoing in relation to GH¢50,000.00 belonging to MASLOC, I prepared a memo for sensitization based upon instruction of Al. The entire project had been approved by the board already so we the staff of MASLOC are to implement with Al and 1 performed my part.

COUNT 21 

What I know about the amount of GH¢ 50,000.00 is that Al told me that she was to do sensitization at Northern, Eastern and Central Regions and therefore she needed that amount as already approved by the board and I prepared the memo and she approved. When the money was ready accounts office called me to pick it for Al which I did.

I gave ail the GH¢50,000.00 to her and she collected it and said thank you. I was part of the team which visited, but after each program she told me she will come and disbursement later. I do not know whether she indeed disbursed the funds.

COUNT 22 

My lady, I have not conspired with Al to an amount of GH¢178,000.00. Al instructed me as usual to prepare a memo for sensitization program which I did and the memo was approved by her and she seat it to accounts office. The accounts prepared and got the cash ready and | delivered it.

COUNT 23 

Concerning the amount of GH¢ 178,000.00, the accounts office cashed the money and the head of finance called me to come for the money for Al and | did exactly that as I stated to the Auditors. This amount is supposed to be used for sensitization program in parts of Northern, Eastern and Central Regions. We indeed visited those regions for the program but no disbursement regarding T&T

was made as Al upon finishing her speech would tell me that she will come back to do the disbursement so I did not have that money with me, I gave it to Al and she did not deny it before the Auditors.

COUNT 43 

That I have never conspired with Al to cause financial loss to the state. In all the works I did for MASLOC when Al was the C.E.O, they had been approval by the board and I acted in my capacity as Head of Operations I did not have any discretion to exercise in those works I did.

COUNT 44 

As regards the amount of GH¢84,000.06, all 1 know is that it was meant for sensitization T&T for parts of Greater Accra. I do not remember doing anything with this particular visit and the GH¢84,000. 00 involved. I know the amount was collected for Al by Anita Gafah.

COUNT 45 

1 know again that I did not conspire with Al to cause financial loss to the state. I have not exercised any discretion concerns € Sensitization project by Al. I only acted upon her instructions as Head operation and as her request had been approved by the board I prepared the Memos for sensitization.

I did not do anything regarding the amount of GH¢75,500.00. It was meant as  honorarium for the media in part of Greater Accra during sensitization. I do not remember taking part in anything concerning this amount. According to the Auditors Report…The money was collected by one Nana SerwaaTawiah for Al, therefore do not know anything about it.

COUNT 48

That I know I have answered a charge of conspiracy with A1 to steal this amount of GH¢114,000.00 under count 5 & 6. Iwish to repeat that I only prepared a memo for a project already approved by the board of MASLOC for implementation. At the time of preparing the memo I could not foresee whether A1 will disburse the funds or not so I did not conspire with Al to cause financial loss to the state. I only did my work faithfully to the State.

COUNT 50

My Lord, as already stated under counts 5 and 6, I never caused financial Joss to the state. The amount of GH¢ 114,000.00 was for disbursement to members who came for the sensitization in B/A and V/R and J had collected the money and given it to Al.

When we finished the talk Al gave me money to do disbursement and ] accordingly distributed per the list by the MaslocReginal Manager A copy is attached the rest of the money was with Al.

COUNT 52 

That I have not conspired with A1 to wilfully cause financial loss to the state. At the time I prepared the memo for sensitization programs in Ashanti and Western Regions, I did not know or I could not have known that Al would disburse the funds she claimed or not. I acted as head of operation without any malice.

COUNT 53 

As I stated under count 7 and 8, I did not disburse any funds after the sensitization

programme A1 told me that she will come back to disburse the funds and I had no control over the funds as she is the C.E.O. and for that my boss.

COUNT 54

That I have not conspired with Al in any way to cause financial loss to the state. I only prepared a memo upon her instructions and took the money from Accounts Office for Al. All this was within my work as head of operations executing: board approved programs.

COUNT 55 

I have stated under counts 9 and 10 I collected the amount of GH¢204,000.00 from the accounts and gave the money to Al for sensitization program in Upper East/West and Northern Regions. I took part in the East and West with the Deputy  C.E.O, but no disbursement was done. In the Northern Region Al came personally but no disbursement was done on that day and 1 do not know whether the disbursement was done later on by her alone.

COUNT 56 

My lord, I have not conspired with Ai to steal or cause financial loss to the state. My role in the entire sensitization program was to prepare memo and also to disburse funds given to me by Ai after her speech. I only disbursed funds Al gave me and those funds given to me to disburse the evidence is in the Auditors Report as exhibit that money was indeed disbursed.

COUNT 57 

That I prepared the memo for the amount of GHC 192,000.00 for the sensitization program in Eastern and Central Regions as stated under counts I] and 12. I attended the program and after A!’s speech she told me she will return to disburse the funds according to the list generated by the Regional Manager as participants.

COUNT 58 

That I did not conspire with Al to cause any financial loss to the state. I did the memo upon her instructions that Al was to visit a region for sensitization it was without malice. Al took the money from me as usual, I could not have kept the money by myself because that is not the practice at the office.

COUNT 59 

The GH¢158,000.00 was as a result of a visit to parts of Greater Accra, Volta and Upper West Region. I know as stated under counts 13 and 14 some parts of Greater Accra received T&T as stated in the Auditors Report. I did the disbursement according to the amount Al gave me to disburse. Those other areas Al told me she will come back to do the disbursement herself and 1 cannot tell whether she went back to do it or not.

COUNT 60 

I did not conspire with Al to cause financial loss to the state. I only worked as head of operations to execute projects approved by the board. | had no intention to do anything wrongful.

COUNT 61 

As I stated under counts 16 and 17, I gave the amount of GHC162,000.00 to Al after I collected it from the account’s office. Al did not deny it during the Auditing. That was the amount for disbursement under the sensitization program in parts of B/A, Upper East and Western Regions. However, after the program A} informed me that she will come back to do the disbursement and | thanked her and she drove off.

COUNT 62 

That I have not wilfully caused financial loss to the state with Al. I did my work as head of operations at MASLOC and as a public servant. I had no discretion to exercise upon being instructed by Al to prepare a memo to take money for sensitization as the program had been approved already.

COUNT 63 

It is true that I collected the amount of GH 138,000.00 as stated under count 18 and 19. However, it is in evidence that I gave all the money to Al and AI did not deny that | gave the money to her. The amount was meant for sensitization in Ashanti Region and I took part. After her speech | presented the list of participants to her for the T&T and she said she will come back to disburse later and I did not know what actually happened with the disbursement thereafter.

COUNT 65 

I have not conspired with Al to cause financial loss to the state. I acted upon her instructions to prepare a memo for sensitization program which had been approved by the board.

COUNT 66 

I indeed collected the amount of GHC50,000.00 from the accounts and gave it to Al for sensitization in part of Northern, Eastern and part of Central Regions. I was with the team as head of operation but Al did not give me any money to disburse to the participants. She told me she will come back to do the disbursement later.

COUNT 67 

That I have not conspired with Al to cause financial loss to the state. I was the head of operation at MASLOC. 1 helped in executing project approved by the board and I assisted the C.E.O (A1) to do sensitization in 2016 and not 2015.

COUNT 68 

That | know I collected an amount of GH178,000.00 and gave the amount to Al for sensitization programme at parts of Northern, Eastern and Central Regions, took part in the various regions but no money was given to me to disburse to the participants. Al told me she will come back to disburse the funds so I should give the list back to the particular regional manager.

COUNT 76

That I have not involved myself in any money laundering. It is the practice in my office that, the CEO does not collect money from the account’s office. A junior officer is required to collect the money on behalf of the C.E.O. All the monies I collected 1 gave them to the C.E.O (A1) and she did not deny that during the forensic auditing.

In any way I have not dealt with any amount like GHc 2,003,800.00. The forensic Auditors did not tell me of any wrongdoing on my part in so far as sensitization is concerned, the Auditor General would have surcharged for any wrongdoing.

 

 

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