The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has described the Court of Appeal's decision to acquit and discharge the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, as a "travesty of justice" and further evidence of what it says is a politicised justice system.
In a statement signed and issued by the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr Justin Kodua Frimpong, yesterday, the party expressed shock and dismay over the ruling, which overturned Ms Tamakloe-Attionu's conviction and 10-year prison sentence imposed by the High Court in April 2024 for stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.
However, the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice has directed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to file a notice of appeal at the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeal's decision.
The Attorney-General has also instructed the DPP to apply for a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal's judgment pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.
A statement issued by the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, and shared by the Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, said the decision to appeal followed the Court of Appeal's ruling delivered earlier on Thursday.
xAccording to the NPP, Ms Tamakloe-Attionu was tried by a court of competent jurisdiction over five years for offences allegedly committed during her tenure as MASLOC CEO between 2013 and 2016.
The party said the trial court, after examining the evidence, found that her conduct resulted in a loss of almost GH¢90 million to the state.
It stated that Ms Tamakloe-Attionu fled the country while standing trial, was convicted in absentia and was later extradited from the United States, arriving in Ghana on June 9, 2026.
The NPP noted that she was acquitted about seven weeks after her return.
The party further said the High Court judgment delivered by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe detailed fraudulent disbursements, unaccounted-for funds, including money allegedly meant for loan beneficiaries and victims of the Kantamanto Market disaster, as well as what it described as deliberate diversion of MASLOC resources.
Political allegations
The NPP alleged that the acquittal was politically motivated and argued that the speed with which the appeal was determined, together with what it described as the conduct of the Attorney-General since January 2025, pointed to political interference.
It also alleged that several criminal cases involving persons affiliated with the governing party had been discontinued or withdrawn and said the latest ruling reinforced what it described as a pattern of selective justice.
According to the party, the decision undermined years of investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the work of the trial court and the resources expended on Ms Tamakloe-Attionu's extradition.
Demands
The NPP called on the Attorney-General to discontinue prosecutions involving former appointees of the previous NPP administration, arguing that the law should be applied fairly.
It also demanded the acquittal and discharge of its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Mr Bernard Antwi Boasiako (Chairman Wontumi), whose conviction and 20-year prison sentence with hard labour it has described as politically motivated and unsupported by sufficient evidence.
The party said his lawyers had filed more than 20 grounds of appeal before the Court of Appeal.
The NPP further called on the Attorney-General to publish details of all cases involving persons affiliated with the governing party that had been discontinued or withdrawn since January 2025, and urged the Judicial Council and the leadership of the Judiciary to take urgent steps to restore public confidence in the administration of justice.
The party said it would pursue every lawful avenue, including a review of the Court of Appeal's decision at the Supreme Court where applicable, to ensure that those who misappropriated public funds were held accountable.
Meanwhile, the Attorney-General's decision to appeal the Court of Appeal's ruling means the case will now proceed to the Supreme Court, subject to the outcome of the intended appeal and the application for a stay of execution.
