A forensic audit of the operations of MASLOC under the John Mahama administration has revealed jaw-dropping suspected fraud and financial impropriety.

The report which has been intercepted by Joy News, cited the former CEO at MASLOC Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, her predecessor Bertha Sogah of widespread acts of corruption, inflation of prices for projects with several millions of cedis misappropriated.

Other officials, including the head of operations and Finance at MASLOC were not left out of the suspected misappropriation.

A report of the audit indicates that Mrs Tamakloe withdrew ¢500,000 of MASLOC cash invested with Obaatampa Microfinance but failed to pay the amount back into the accounts of MASLOC.

According to the report MASLOC, invested the amount in a 91-day fixed deposit with Obaatanpa Microfinance Ltd at an interest rate of 26% per annum in July 2014. However, the former CEO in a letter dated 28th August 2014 instructed Obaatanpa to terminate the investment and payback the amount. Even though there is evidence of the amount paid to Mrs Tamakloe there is no evidence of same having been paid in the accounts of MASLOC.

"Mrs Sedina Tamakloe should be held responsible for the refund of the amount of GHS 500,000 with interest in accordance with regulations 61(5) of the Financial Management Act, 2003 (654)," the auditors recommended.

Again an amount of over two million cedis said to have been approved in 2016 for implementation of sensitization programmes across the country’s regions cannot be accounted for the report held.

According to the report, MASLOC planned outreach programmes in all 10 regions in 2016. A budget of 1,706,000.00 was approved by MASLOC Board at its 27th General meeting held on April 26 for the execution of the programmes. It was discovered that 24 payment vouchers were prepared with a total of 2,044,780.00 was said to have been withdrawn.

Checks by the Audit report committee at the various regions also indicate there was no trace of the programmes for which the monies had been disbursed.

According to the auditors, there was also no record of refund of the monies even though there is evidence the projects for which monies were released were all ghost projects.

The audit report insists Mrs Tamakloe must be held responsible for the misappropriation of the amount and be made to refund same.

She must also be charged with committing fraud.

Phone over-invoicing

There is also a case of over-invoicing of mobile phones purchased for PINCO project market survey.

According to the report, MASLOC procured mobile phones for the project. However, it was discovered that the market prices for the phones invoice prices for same had been overpriced by 174,612.00.

Fishing net   

Auditors have also found that in 2012 there was an overpayment for fishing nets from Sun Pro (Royal Standard Consulting).

A review of the documents suggests that in 2012 MASLOC procured some fishing nets from Sun Pro at the cost of $758,102.75. However, MASLOC transferred an amount of 932,736.81 for payment. The report indicates there was an overpayment of 174,634.06. The CEO before Sedina Tamakloe in the person of Bertha Sogah has been held responsible for the transaction.

There is also the procurement of 2000 tricycles at a contract sum of 17 million cedis. The tricycles according to the current CEO of MASLOC, Stephen Amoah, were overpriced. The audit report suggests the restricted tendering process had been breached. As at December 16, only 145 motorcycles had been supplied. Attempts by MASLCO to take delivery of the remaining motorcycles have been futile.

Attempts by Joy News to contact Mrs Tamakloe to respond to the allegations failed. She said she had responded to EOCO and urged Joy News to get her response from the investigative body.