Court of Appeal Acquits Former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, Quashes 10-Year Conviction

Court of Appeal acquits Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu after overturning the conviction and 10-year prison sentence imposed on the former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer. The Court of Appeal ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt, leading to the acquittal and discharge of the former MASLOC CEO and bringing the long-running criminal case to an end.

In a judgment delivered on Thursday, the three-member appellate court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the charges against the former MASLOC boss beyond reasonable doubt. As a result, the court set aside the convictions and sentence previously imposed by the High Court.

The decision followed an appeal filed by Tamakloe-Attionu, who challenged both her conviction and the legality of being tried and sentenced in absentia. Her lawyers argued that the charges were legally flawed and that the evidence presented by the prosecution was insufficient to secure a criminal conviction.

The former MASLOC CEO was extradited from the United States to Ghana on June 9, 2026, after failing to return to the country while standing trial. She began serving her 10-year prison sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Female Prison on June 24, 2026.

Tamakloe-Attionu had travelled to the United States in 2021 after obtaining permission from the High Court to seek medical treatment during the trial. However, she remained abroad and did not return to continue proceedings.

In 2024, an Accra High Court convicted her on several counts, including causing financial loss to the state and stealing. The charges stemmed from allegations that she misappropriated and diverted state resources during her tenure as Chief Executive of MASLOC.

However, the Court of Appeal has now overturned that judgment, concluding that the prosecution failed to establish the offences to the required criminal standard. The ruling effectively clears Tamakloe-Attionu of all convictions and nullifies her 10-year custodial sentence.