The Attorney General has directed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to immediately challenge the Court of Appeal’s decision acquitting and discharging former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, by filing an appeal at the Supreme Court.
The move comes just hours after the Court of Appeal unanimously overturned Tamakloe’s conviction on 78 charges, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, and offences under the Public Procurement Act.
In a statement issued on Thursday, July 30, the Attorney General’s office also announced plans to file an application for a stay of execution of the appellate court’s judgment while the Supreme Court determines the appeal.
“Having received notice of the Court of Appeal’s decision, the Attorney-General has directed the Director of Public Prosecutions to immediately file a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court, together with an application for a stay of execution of the judgment pending the determination of the appeal,” the statement said.
The Attorney General stressed that the Republic remained convinced the Court of Appeal had reached the wrong conclusion and would continue to pursue the matter.
“The Republic opposed the appeal by filing written submissions, contending that the appeal lacked merit and ought to be dismissed,” the statement added.
It further stated that, “The Attorney-General remains committed to the due process of law and is confident that the appeal before the Supreme Court will succeed.”
Earlier on Thursday, a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal, comprising Justices Emmanuel Ankamah, Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe and Samuel Obeng-Diawuo, unanimously acquitted and discharged Tamakloe, overturning the High Court’s April 16, 2024 conviction, which had sentenced her to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
The appellate court held that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt and ruled that the trial court had lost sight of the constitutional principle that every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Speaking after the judgment, Tamakloe’s lawyer, Enoch Deegbe, said the court’s decision was largely based on defects in the charge sheet used to prosecute his client.
According to him, the appeal was argued on three principal grounds, namely the defective charge sheet, the absence of a proper prima facie determination against Tamakloe, and challenges to the High Court’s judgment. He noted, however, that the Court of Appeal focused primarily on the defective charge sheet in arriving at its decision.
The state’s decision to seek a stay of execution means the legal battle is not over. If the Supreme Court grants the application, the effect of the Court of Appeal’s judgment could be suspended while the appeal is heard. The apex court will also determine whether the acquittal should stand or whether the earlier conviction should be restored.
Meanwhile, Tamakloe’s co-accused, Daniel Axim, who was sentenced to five years’ imprisonment by the High Court, remains on bail granted by the Supreme Court in January 2026 pending the determination of his own appeal.
The Attorney General’s decision to escalate the matter to the Supreme Court sets the stage for another high-profile legal contest, with the case expected to test key issues surrounding criminal prosecutions, the preparation of charge sheets, and the handling of major financial crime cases in Ghana.
Private legal practitioner Justice Abdullai had earlier described the Court of Appeal’s decision as a wake-up call for prosecutors, suggesting the ruling exposed possible shortcomings in the preparation of charge sheets by the Attorney General’s office.
“Maybe we may have to look at how charge sheets are prepared at the Attorney General’s office and see how best to avoid some of these errors if indeed these errors exist there. It couldn’t be by accident that almost every administration has problems with the charge sheet,” he said.
Should the Supreme Court uphold the Attorney General’s appeal, Tamakloe’s conviction and sentence could be reinstated. However, if the appeal is dismissed, the Court of Appeal’s acquittal will remain in force, bringing the long-running prosecution against the former MASLOC CEO to an end.
