MASLOC case: Court rules no trial in absentia

The High Court in Accra, presided over by Her Ladyship Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, has ruled that it will not hear the application for trial in absentia of the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Sedina Christine Tamakloe Ationu, until the two sureties appear before the court.

The court said before it will consider the motion for her to be tried in absentia, the motion for forfeiture where the sureties are to appear before the court to explain the whereabouts of the 1st accused is dealt with first.

At the last court sitting, the state indicated to the court that it had filed a fresh forfeiture motion against the two sureties who signed the bail bond for her.

In court yesterday, Stella Ohene Appiah, Principal State Attorney, told the court that they had not been able to serve the two sureties yet, and would therefore require more time to do this.

However, they requested that the court hears the application for trial in absentia pending service of the two sureties. Justice Afia Serwaa Asare Botwe’s court disagreed with the principal state attorney.

The court noted that until the state shows that the first accused, Sedina Tamakloe, has absconded and the sureties are forfeited, it will not hear the application for trial in absentia.

Case

Mrs Tamakloe has been standing trial for the past two years for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.

The former MASLOC CEO, who allegedly stole roughly GHC93 million from MASLOC coffers, has refused to return to Ghana after she was granted permission by the court to travel abroad on health grounds.

In view of this, the state filed two applications for forfeiture on the part of the sureties and an application for trial in absentia.

However, the state has not been able to serve the two sureties – Gavivina Tamakloe and Alex Mould, the former chief executive officer of Ghana National Petroleum Commission (GNPC) – to appear before the court to answer why they should not be made to pay the bail sum of GHC5 million.

Ms Tamakloe Attionu and Axim, the second accused, have been dragged to court for allegedly stealing and causing financial loss to the state to the tune of GHC93 million, among other charges.

Together, the two accused face 78 charges, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, unauthorised commitment, resulting in a financial obligation for the government, improper payment, money laundering and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.

The two accused allegedly stole GHC3,198,280 in total while at MASLOC and wilfully caused a financial loss of GHC1,973,780 to the state.

Additionally, while in charge of MASLOC, Ms Tamakloe Attionu and her accomplice allegedly made unauthorised commitments resulting in financial obligations for the government to the tune of GHC61,735,832.50.

The further charges against the two include a loss of GHC22,158,118.85 to public property and improper payment of GHC273,743.66, as well as money laundering of GHC3,704,380 while in charge of MASLOC