The Accra High Court has ordered that a former CEO of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, will be tried in absentia.
Attionu, who is on trial for allegedly causing financial loss of GH¢90 million to the state during her tenure as the CEO of MASLOC between 2013 and January 2017, has failed to show up for the trial since October 2021, after being granted permission by the court to travel to the USA for medical treatment.
In a ruling today, the presiding judge, Justice Afia Serwaa – Botwe, held that Attionu should be tried in absentia because she had refused to participate in the trial for more than a year.
The ruling by the court was in accordance with Article 19(3a) of the 1992 Constitution which allows a court to try an accused who refuses to show up for trial in absentia.
Per the court, the order for trial in absentia should be posted on the notice board of the court and in a national newspaper for 21 days.
Hearing continues on March 28, 2023.
Not guilty
Mrs Attionu is on trial with Daniel Axim, a former Operations Manager of MASLOC, on 78 counts of willfully causing financial loss to the state, stealing, contravention of the public procurement act, among other charges.
The two have denied any wrongdoing and have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Prosecution’s case
The prosecution has accused Attionu of engaging in some illegalities leading to the alleged accused stealing and financial loss.
For instance, it has accused Attionu of embezzling GH¢500,000 that was paid by a company which benefitted from MASLOC support in 2014.
It is also the case of the prosecution that in 2013, following a fire disaster at the Kantamanto Market, then President John Mahama directed MASLOC to provide assistance of GH¢1.46 million to victims of the disaster but Attionu embezzled part of the money.