The Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, has clarified that former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, remains in prison custody despite the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge her.
Speaking in an interview on Tuesday, August 4, Kwakye Ofosu dismissed claims that the former MASLOC boss had not been held in prison following her return to Ghana.
According to him, Sedina Tamakloe has been in lawful custody from the day she arrived in the country until the Court of Appeal delivered its judgment.
“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. The claims that she was home and was not kept by prison authorities are blatantly false,” he stated.
He questioned the basis of the contrary claims, insisting there was no truth to suggestions that she had remained outside prison custody.
Kwakye Ofosu further revealed that the former MASLOC CEO has not been released following the appellate court’s ruling.
“I can tell you Sedina has not been released; she’s still in custody,” he said.
His remarks come amid ongoing legal proceedings following the Court of Appeal’s unanimous decision to overturn Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence. The appellate court acquitted and discharged her after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
However, the legal battle is not over. Chief Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie has granted permission for the Court of Appeal to sit during the legal vacation to hear an application by the Attorney-General seeking a stay of execution of the judgment. The application is expected to be heard on August 16.
The case has also attracted political attention. The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has announced plans to stage a protest on Thursday, August 6, arguing that the Court of Appeal’s decision was flawed and should be challenged.
The Attorney-General’s application and the outcome of the scheduled hearing are expected to determine the immediate legal status of the former MASLOC chief as the state considers its next course of action.
