Omanghana
The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice has initiated steps to challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision acquitting and discharging former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre CEO Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.
The state filed an urgent application for a stay of execution on Thursday, July 30, 2026, hours after a three-member Court of Appeal panel overturned her conviction and 10-year prison sentence.
The application, filed by Principal State Attorney Hilda W. Craig at the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal, seeks to suspend the effect of the acquittal pending a further appeal to the Supreme Court.
Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Dr. Dominic Ayine has also instructed the Director of Public Prosecutions to begin the process of appealing the judgment.
The state maintains that the evidence presented during the original trial was sufficient to support the 78 charges filed against Tamakloe-Attionu. The offences included stealing, money laundering, causing financial loss to the state and the unauthorized commitment of public funds.
In a statement, the Attorney-General’s office expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would overturn the appellate decision and restore the conviction secured at the High Court.
The filing of the stay application does not automatically suspend the Court of Appeal’s ruling. The court must first consider the state’s arguments and decide whether the legal requirements for granting the application have been satisfied.
Tamakloe-Attionu was convicted in absentia in April 2024 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She had left Ghana for the United States in 2021 for what she described as medical treatment.
Following her extradition to Ghana in June 2026, the former MASLOC chief was taken into custody and began serving her sentence while her appeal remained pending.
The Court of Appeal subsequently overturned the conviction in a unanimous decision. The panel concluded that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond a reasonable doubt and raised concerns about the framing of the 78 charges.
The judges also found that the original trial had not properly applied the constitutional presumption that an accused person remains innocent until proven guilty.
Former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame has criticized the acquittal, maintaining that the prosecution presented compelling evidence during the trial.
Dame also argued that Tamakloe-Attionu left Ghana after she had been confronted with the prosecution’s evidence. Her legal representatives have previously maintained that she travelled abroad for medical reasons.
The ruling has generated political debate, with some members and supporters of the New Patriotic Party questioning the circumstances and timing of the acquittal. Certain commentators have described the decision as part of an alleged effort to clear individuals associated with the opposition.
The Attorney-General’s office has rejected suggestions that it failed to defend the conviction. The ministry said the state vigorously opposed Tamakloe-Attionu’s appeal through written legal submissions before the Court of Appeal delivered its judgment.
The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the merits of the state’s intended appeal. Until a higher court intervenes, the Court of Appeal’s acquittal remains the operative decision, subject to the outcome of the stay application and subsequent proceedings.
Source: Omanghana
