The Court of Appeal has overturned the conviction and 10-year prison sentence imposed on former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, bringing a dramatic twist to one of Ghana’s most high-profile financial crime cases.
In a unanimous decision delivered on Thursday, July 30, 2026, a three-member panel of the appellate court acquitted and discharged the former MASLOC boss after finding that the prosecution failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The court set aside the 2024 judgement of the High Court, which had convicted Tamakloe-Attionu on multiple financial crime charges and sentenced her to 10 years’ imprisonment.
According to the Court of Appeal, the trial court failed to properly apply the constitutional principle that an accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The appellate judges held that the evidence presented by the prosecution fell short of the legal standard required for a criminal conviction.
The judges also raised concerns about the prosecution’s conduct throughout the trial, indicating that aspects of the case were not handled appropriately. A detailed explanation of the court’s reasoning is expected to be released later.
Background to the case
Tamakloe-Attionu served as Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC between November 2013 and January 2017.
She was first arraigned before the Financial Division of the High Court in Accra on January 30, 2019, where she faced 78 criminal charges.
The charges included conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, causing loss to public property, improper payment of public funds, unauthorised commitment resulting in financial obligations to the government, money laundering, and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.
The alleged offences were said to have occurred between 2013 and 2016 during her tenure at MASLOC.
Trial in absentia
Shortly after the commencement of the trial, Tamakloe-Attionu travelled abroad after obtaining permission from the court to seek medical treatment.
However, she did not return to Ghana to continue with the proceedings, prompting the High Court to continue hearing the case in her absence.
She was subsequently convicted in absentia on several counts and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Extradition from the United States
On June 9, 2026, Tamakloe-Attionu was extradited from the United States to Ghana, marking the first extradition between Ghana and the U.S. since 2009.
Upon her arrival in Accra, she was taken into custody to begin serving her sentence while her appeal remained pending before the Court of Appeal.
Appeal succeeds
Before her return to Ghana, her legal team had filed an appeal asking the Court of Appeal to quash the High Court’s judgement.
Her lawyers argued that the prosecution had failed to prove the allegations beyond reasonable doubt and further contended that the charge sheet upon which she was convicted was fundamentally defective.
After reviewing the evidence and legal arguments, the Court of Appeal agreed with the defence, quashing the conviction and acquitting Tamakloe-Attionu on all the charges for which she had been convicted.
The ruling effectively brings an end to the criminal proceedings against the former MASLOC Chief Executive, unless the State decides to pursue a further appeal before the Supreme Court.
By 1960news.com
