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), overturning her previous conviction and 10-year sentence. In a 94-page judgment, the court stated that the trial judge overlooked the principle of the presumption of innocence until proven guilty.
Additionally, the court found that the prosecution failed to establish the charges against her beyond a reasonable doubt. The court also criticized the way the prosecution managed the case. A full explanation of the decision is expected to be available by the end of the day.
Background
Ms. Attionu, who led the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) from 2013 to 2016, was convicted in April 2024 on 72 counts, which included causing financial loss to the state, theft, conspiracy, money laundering, and procurement-related offenses. These charges stem from her alleged embezzlement of over six million dollars in public funds, with the offenses reportedly occurring between 2013 and 2016.
After leaving Ghana in 2019 with court permission for a medical check-up, she failed to return to continue her trial. On June 9, 2026, she was extradited from the United States to Ghana, marking the first extradition between the two countries since 2009.
Source: Justice Agbenorsi & Joselyn Kafui Nyadzi
