The Court of Appeal has overturned the conviction and 10-year prison sentence imposed on former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, ruling that the prosecution failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt.
In a unanimous decision delivered by a three-member panel comprising Justices Emmanuel Ankamah, Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe, and Samuel Obeng-Diawuo, the court acquitted and discharged the former MASLOC boss on all charges, effectively setting aside the High Court’s judgment.
Delivering the ruling on Thursday, the appellate court held that the evidence presented by the prosecution did not satisfy the legal threshold required for a criminal conviction. The judges also criticised the trial court’s handling of the case, stating that the trial judge failed to uphold the constitutional principle that every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The Court of Appeal further raised concerns about the prosecution’s conduct during the trial, concluding that the evidence relied upon was insufficient to sustain the convictions. The court indicated that its detailed reasoning would be contained in a 94-page judgment scheduled for release later in the day.
Sedina Tamakloe was convicted by the High Court in April 2024 following a trial that began in January 2019. She received a 10-year custodial sentence after being found guilty on multiple charges linked to her tenure as Chief Executive Officer of MASLOC.
She had faced 78 counts, including stealing, conspiracy to steal, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, causing loss to public property, improper payment of public funds, unauthorised commitment and money laundering.
The prosecution, led at the time by then Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame, relied substantially on investigations conducted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) to argue that Tamakloe had misappropriated public funds through various MASLOC programmes.
Among the allegations were claims that a GH¢500,000 loan intended for Obaatanpa Microfinance was diverted after the institution declined the facility because of its interest rate. The prosecution also accused her of misappropriating funds allocated for MASLOC sensitisation programmes, diverting relief funds meant for victims of the Kantamanto Market fire, and overseeing inflated procurement processes involving vehicles and mobile phones.
During the trial, the prosecution called seven witnesses and relied heavily on a forensic audit report to support its case.
However, the Court of Appeal found that the evidence presented was inadequate to prove the offences beyond reasonable doubt, resulting in the convictions being quashed and the former MASLOC Chief Executive acquitted and discharged.
The ruling brings an end to one of the country’s high-profile corruption prosecutions, unless the state decides to pursue a further appeal to the Supreme Court, where permitted by law.
