The Court of Appeal has unanimously acquitted and discharged Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC). This decision overturns her previous conviction and 10-year sentence.
In a comprehensive 94-page judgment, the court determined that the trial judge overlooked the presumption of innocence until proven guilty, and that the prosecution did not prove the charges against her beyond a reasonable doubt. Additionally, the court criticised the way the prosecution managed the case. The full reasoning behind the decision is expected to be available by the end of the day.
Background
Ms Attionu, who headed MASLOC from 2013 to 2016, was convicted in April 2024 on 72 counts, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy, money laundering and procurement-related offences, over the alleged embezzlement of more than six million dollars in public funds. The offences were said to have been committed between 2013 and 2016.
She had left Ghana in 2019 after obtaining court permission to travel abroad for a medical check-up but did not return to continue with her trial. She was extradited from the United States to Ghana on June 9, 2026, the first such extradition between the two countries since 2009.
Source: Justice Agbenorsi & Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi
