The acquittal and discharge of former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu has reignited a fierce political storm over state accountability, with former Kumasi Mayor Sam Pyne taking direct aim at President John Dramani Mahama’s anti-corruption record.
Speaking as a panelist on Peace FM’s flagship morning program 'Kokrokoo', Pyne questioned who now deserves the moniker of "clearing agent"—a term previously used by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Mr. Mahama to attack former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over his handling of corruption allegations against public officials.
"What is going on is very scary. When we heard that she was being extradited, I said it was just a setup to free the woman," Pyne asserted during the broadcast. "When the government assumed office, one of the first things they did was use nolle prosequi to free most of the people under investigation, whether it was meritorious or not, and now they’ve freed another person. So, who is the clearing agent now?"
High-Profile Conviction Overturned
Pyne's sharp critique follows a ruling by a three-member Court of Appeal panel on Thursday, July 30, 2026, which set aside the High Court’s previous judgment convicting Tamakloe-Attionu and sentencing her to 10 years in prison.
The appellate court held that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, effectively clearing the former MASLOC chief of charges that included causing financial loss to the state.
The verdict has triggered intense public controversy and drawn renewed scrutiny toward Ghana’s criminal justice system, with critics raising alarm over the state's capacity to successfully prosecute high-profile public financial management and white-collar corruption cases.
State Moves to Appeal at Supreme Court
In response to the judgment, the Office of the Attorney-General has signaled that the legal battle is far from over. The department announced immediate plans to file an appeal before the Supreme Court, expressing firm confidence that the higher court will overturn the appellate ruling.
"The Attorney-General remains committed to the due process of law and is confident that the appeal before the Supreme Court will succeed," the statement read.
Despite the state’s stance, the political fallout continues to escalate, as opposition figures frame the series of dropped charges and overturned convictions as evidence of a pattern by the administration to shield party loyalists and key government figures from legal consequences.
