The Court of Appeal in Accra has unanimously acquitted and discharged former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, overturning her earlier conviction and 10-year prison sentence.
In a comprehensive 94-page judgment delivered on Thursday morning, July 30, 2026, the three-member appellate panel ruled that the prosecution failed to prove any of the charges against her beyond reasonable doubt. The court noted that the initial trial judge had lost sight of the constitutional presumption of innocence until proven guilty and raised critical concerns regarding how the prosecution handled the case.
The full written reasoning for the appellate court's landmark decision is expected to be released by the close of the day.
A Controversial Trial and Extradition
Mrs. Tamakloe Attionu, who served at the helm of MASLOC from November 2013 to January 2017, was first arraigned before the Financial Division of the High Court on January 30, 2019. She faced a total of 78 counts, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the State, improper payment of public funds, money laundering, and breaches of the Public Procurement Act, relating to alleged acts committed between 2013 and 2016.
Later in 2019, she left Ghana after obtaining permission from the court to travel abroad for medical treatment. When she did not return to stand trial, the High Court proceeded with the case in absentia, ultimately convicting and sentencing her to 10 years in prison.
Her legal journey took a high-profile turn on June 9, 2026, when she landed in Accra under custody following her extradition from the United States—marking the first extradition between the two nations since 2009.
The Appeal
Following her return, Mrs. Tamakloe Attionu's legal team submitted a detailed written appeal to the Criminal Division of the Court of Appeal. They argued that the charge sheet on which she was originally convicted was fundamentally defective and that the state had failed to produce sufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations.
Thursday's judgment fully vindicated her defense, quashing all charges and ordering her immediate discharge.
