The Criminal Division of the Accra High Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare Botwe has moved the embezzlement trial of Sedina Tamakloe Attionu to February. The adjournment followed a request from the prosecution to allow for the filing of further witness statements and documents necessary for the trial process. MyJoyOnline reports that the prosecution indicated it required more time to finalize the evidence submissions before the next hearing.
Sedina Tamakloe Attionu served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre MASLOC until her replacement in 2017. She is facing multiple charges including willfully causing financial loss to the state and misappropriation of public funds. A Citi Newsroom report notes that the former official is being tried alongside Daniel Axim who served as the former Operations Manager of the same state agency.
According to the official charge sheet cited by various media outlets the state alleges that the accused persons caused a total financial loss of over 90 million Ghana Cedis. The prosecution claims that the funds were allegedly diverted during various programs and projects undertaken by MASLOC between 2013 and 2016. A GhanaWeb report states that the suspects have pleaded not guilty to all charges brought against them by the Attorney General.
The court has previously cautioned that the trial would proceed even in the absence of the first accused person who is currently outside the jurisdiction. Legal representatives for the former CEO have maintained her innocence throughout the preliminary hearings. The Daily Graphic reports that the court expects all parties to be ready with their witness statements by the next scheduled date in February to ensure an expeditious trial of the matter.