Private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has expressed concerns about potential moves to grant former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer Sedina Tamakloe Attionu a presidential pardon or release her on appeal after she has served just a portion of her jail term. He warns that such actions could undermine public confidence in the justice system. His remarks came shortly after Sedina Attionu returned to Ghana following her extradition from the United States, where she was serving a 10-year sentence imposed by the Accra High Court.
She was convicted in absentia in 2024 and sentenced to 10 years in prison after being found guilty of offenses, including causing financial loss to the state and theft. Her return follows a lengthy extradition process initiated by the Government of Ghana after she failed to return to the country to face trial.
Court records indicate that she was initially granted permission in 2021 to travel to the United States for medical treatment while her trial was ongoing. However, she did not return to Ghana, prompting the court to continue proceedings in her absence. Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, June 9, Martin Kpebu said that while she retains the right to appeal, any outcome that results in her spending less than three years in prison would “look very bad” and damage public confidence.
According to him, the circumstances surrounding her conviction and extradition, particularly her earlier departure from the country during trial, make the case sensitive in the court of public opinion. “If Sedinam comes out in less than two years, the backlash against the NDC will not be worth it.
So they have to advise her to stay in there. It’s for the betterment of society. She may have the right to appeal and come out… but generally, anything less than three years will look very bad on us as a society. If Sedinam comes out of jail in less than three years, it will shake people’s confidence in the system,” he said.
Source: Isaac Appiah Kubi
