Claim: Ex-Ghanaian leader, John Mahama said he would pardon a former appointee who was jailed by the court for causing financial loss to the country.
Verdict: False. The Director of Elections and IT of Ghana’s opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Edward Omane Boamah told DUBAWA the ex-president will not make such a statement. “Do you really think he will make this statement?” he quizzed. Further checks by DUBAWA showed Mr Mahama did not make the statement attributed to him.
FULL TEXT:
A Facebook user shared a flyer in which the ex-Ghanaian President, John Dramani Mahama is reported to have said he would grant a presidential pardon to one of his appointees, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu who was jailed on Apr. 16, 2024, by the High court for causing financial loss to the country.
Sedina served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) during the regime of Mr Mahama from 2013 to 2016. Together with the then Chief Operating Officer of MASLOC, Daniel Axim, the duo was found guilty of misappropriating the sum of GHȼ1.7million allocated for a sensitisation exercise.
Sedina, who fled the West African country after the start of trial, received a 10-year jail term in absentia while Daniel was handed a five-year imprisonment term.
However, Mr Mahama is reported to have said he would forgive his former appointee through a presidential pardon when he wins the upcoming 2024 Presidential election.
“Sedina Tamakloe will be granted a presidential pardon under the next NDC Government,” the 2024 Presidential candidate of Ghana’s opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) reportedly said.
The Facebook user accompanied the flyer shared on Apr. 18, 2024, with the following message:
“You want progress and accountability with this. Good Luck.”
DUBAWA decided to probe the claim as part of its campaign against misinformation and disinformation ahead of the general election in Ghana.
Verification:
The Director of Elections and IT of Ghana’s opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Edward Omane Boamah told DUBAWA the ex-president will not make such a statement.
“Do you really think he will make this statement?” he quizzed and entreated the public to disregard the flyer.
DUBAWA contacted Accra-based XYZ TV, the media organisation purportedly behind the flyer. However, an editor with the organisation, Wisdom Hededzome said the flyer was not designed by them.
“It is not coming from us,” he said.
DUBAWA later conducted a Google keyword search to find out if the claim purportedly made by Mr Mahama has been published by any of the country’s respected media organisations. However, the search showed none of the reputable media organisations in Ghana has published stories on the purported comment.
DUBAWA reached out to some of the people who shared the flyer on Facebook to find out where they got it from. They, however, said they took it from their WhatsApp groups.
Conclusion:
Ex-Ghanaian leader, John Mahama did not say he would grant a presidential pardon to Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, a former appointee of his jailed for causing financial loss to the country.
