Felix Kwakye Ofosu, Minister of State responsible for Government Communications, has revealed that former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, remains in prison custody despite her acquittal by the Court of Appeal. Speaking during an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face program on Tuesday, August 4, Kwakye Ofosu explained that Tamakloe-Attionu has continued to be held in lawful custody since her return to Ghana.
“For the avoidance of doubt. The day that Sedina landed in Ghana till the Court of Appeal made its pronouncements, she has always been in prison custody. So, the claims that she was home and was not kept by Prison authorities are blatantly false…Should we publish pictures or show videos before you believe that she was in prison?” he asked.
He further stated that Sedina Tamakloe had not been released following the appellate court’s ruling.
“I can tell you Sedina has not been released; she’s still in custody.”
Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has authorised the Court of Appeal to convene during the legal vacation to hear the Attorney-General’s application for a stay of execution of its judgment, scheduled for August 16. In the meantime, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has declared plans to hold a protest on Thursday, August 6, contending that the Court of Appeal’s ruling was flawed.
The party further accused the government of intimidating opposition members while allegedly shielding its allies from prosecution. The High Court’s earlier conviction of Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, which imposed a 10-year prison sentence for causing financial loss to the state, was overturned by the Court of Appeal on the grounds that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt.
The matter stemmed from allegations that she unlawfully diverted a GH¢500,000 loan originally intended for Obaatanpa Microfinance, which had rejected the facility due to its interest rate. Following the appellate court’s decision, the Attorney-General petitioned the Supreme Court for a stay of execution pending the outcome of the State’s appeal, arguing that Tamakloe-Attionu might abscond before the appeal is determined.
Source: Leticia Osei
