Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe of the Court of Appeal has raised concerns about the behavior of educated elites, suggesting they can be more harmful than armed robbers.

She noted that in her years of practice, she had not heard of an armed robber stealing a million Cedis.

Her comments came before she handed down custodial sentences to Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, former Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), and Daniel Axim, an interdicted Head of Operations.

“People talk about violent crime and how wicked it is. But if an armed robber comes to your room, he will only take what is available,” Justice Asare-Botwe said.

She added, “In all my years, I’ve never heard about an armed robber who entered someone’s premises and took one million or even GHc500,00.”

“But, when you have an educated thief that thief is capable of causing far more havoc than someone with AK47 is capable of doing,” the Court of Appeal judge posited.

The judge also expressed concerns about how public officers inflate prices when procuring items for the state, thereby shortchanging the public purse.

“When you have to buy something and you overprice it to the extent of doubling or tripling the price. Those of you in power please have mercy on us,” she stated.

Former CEO of MASLOC, Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, who absconded, and interdicted Head of Operations, Daniel Axim, were convicted and sentenced to 10 and five years respectively.

The court found them guilty of, among other charges, willfully causing financial loss to the Republic through their actions.

They were convicted on all 78 counts, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, causing loss to public property, improper payment of public funds, unauthorized commitment resulting in financial obligation for the government, money laundering, and contravention of the Public Procurement Act.