Former Deputy Attorney-General under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, has expressed disappointment over the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn the 10-year prison sentence handed to former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) CEO, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.
Speaking to TV3 after the ruling on July 30, Tuah-Yeboah said although he was not surprised by the ruling, he was saddened by what he described as a worrying moment for Ghana’s fight against corruption.
According to him, the decision appeared to follow a carefully planned approach, which he described as a “playbook” that had been executed perfectly.
“I will say even though I am not surprised, I am rather sad. I am not surprised because I see it as a playbook, something that was well rehearsed and has been executed to perfection,” he said.
Mr. Tuah-Yeboah cautioned that the state must be careful about decisions taken in the broader fight against corruption, stressing that the decisions taken by the state is critical to ensuring accountability.
“In our fight against corruption, we need to, as a people, be very careful of the decisions that we take,” he added.
He further questioned the impact of the judiciary’s contribution to the fight against corruption if even after what he said is a mountain of evidence against Sedina, could not result in conviction.
“With this mountain of evidence, if the contribution that the Judiciary can make to the fight against corruption is to discharge Sedina in this way, then we have a very long way to go,” Mr. Tuah-Yeboah stated.
The Court of Appeal has overturned the conviction and 10-year custodial sentence imposed on Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, who had been found guilty by the High Court in relation to offences committed during her tenure as MASLOC Chief Executive Officer.
Sedina was acquitted after the court ruled that the former MASCLOC CEO should not have been sentenced as the prosecution could not prove the charges levelled against her.
In April 2024, an Accra High Court handed Attionu a 10-year prison sentence with hard labour after finding her guilty of causing financial loss to the state.
She was convicted of 78 counts of offences including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and improper payment of public funds.
Sedina Attionu had initially been granted permission by the High Court in 2021 to travel to the United States for medical treatment while her trial was ongoing.
However, she failed to return to Ghana to continue participating in the proceedings, prompting the court to continue the trial in her absence.
She was found guilty on counts including stealing and money laundering. Businessman Daniel Axim was convicted alongside her.
Attionu was convicted in absentia by an Accra High Court after she failed to appear before the court during proceedings related to alleged financial irregularities at MASLOC during her tenure as Chief Executive Officer.
Her lawyers filed a notice of appeal in May 2024.
In February 2026, the Court of Appeal directed the filing of written submissions. Her legal team subsequently filed detailed arguments seeking to have the conviction quashed and an acquittal entered.
