The Court of Appeal judge highlighted that an educated thief can cause more harm than someone with an AK47.
Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, a Justice of the Court of Appeal, expressed concerns about how educated elites have become more “harmful” than armed robbers.
These concerns were raised before she sentenced former Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, and interdicted Head of Operations, Daniel Axim.
After being found guilty of various offenses including conspiracy to steal, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering, Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, the former CEO of MASLOC, and Daniel Axim, the interdicted Head of Operations, have been sentenced to ten and five years respectively.
Their conviction on all 78 counts, which also includes improper payment of public funds and contravention of the Public Procurement Act, highlights the seriousness of their actions in causing financial harm to the Republic.
She further raised issues regarding the overpricing of goods by public officials, emphasizing the need for fair pricing and integrity in procurement processes. Her plea was directed towards those in positions of authority, urging them to consider the impact of their actions on the public.
Justice Asare-Botwe reflected on her extensive legal career, noting that she had never encountered a case where an armed robber had stolen a large sum of money, highlighting the perception of violent crime compared to reality.
She emphasized that while violent crimes are often portrayed as heinous, armed robbers typically only take what they can find in the moment.
She underscored her point by highlighting the rarity of armed robbers making off with large sums of money, such as one million Cedis or even GHc500,00.
