The Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) has retrieved government-owned vehicles that were in the possession of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Bernard Antwi-Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi.
According to reports, the vehicles were part of state assets allocated to MASLOC to support its operations, but had allegedly been taken over by the politician without proper authorisation.
The recovery exercise, the Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC, Abigail Elorm Mensah, said, is part of a broader effort by MASLOC to reclaim state property and ensure that all government resources are used for their intended purposes.
The vehicles, MASLOC CEO said were retrieved from the residence of Chairman Wontumi in Kumasi under the supervision of security personnel.
In an interview on Accra-based Citi FM, the CEO said “I went with National Security operatives to the residence of the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Chairman Wontumi. There were five cars in total. We managed to retrieve three, and we are still pursuing him for the remaining two. He has to pay for them.”
She indicated that MASLOC’S procedures require individuals who default on repayment obligations or misuse government vehicles to either return the assets or settle their outstanding debts.
“Our practice is that once we seize the cars, the agreement stipulates that you must repay whatever has accrued before the vehicles are released back to you,” she said.
She disclosed that several cases of misappropriated assets have already been reported to the police as part of efforts to safeguard public property.
“We have reported many of these issues to the police.
“In one situation, a brother of former Vice President Seidu Imoro picked up a vehicle and boldly told us that since he had worked with it and now bought his own, we could come for it if we wanted. So we seized it,” she noted.
Chairman Wontumi has yet to officially respond to the development.
MASLOC is expected to continue its audit and retrieval exercise in the coming weeks to ensure all state vehicles and assets under its care are fully accounted for.
