By Grace Zigah
The legal battle over former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, has entered another dramatic phase after a differently constituted Court of Appeal adjourned indefinitely its ruling on an application by the Attorney-General seeking to suspend the judgment that acquitted and discharged her.
The unexpected development came after the appellate court spent almost two hours in conference attempting to reach a unanimous decision on whether to grant the Attorney-General’s application for a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal’s earlier judgment, which overturned Tamakloe’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence.
Unable to conclude its deliberations, the three-member panel, presided over by Justice Sophia Rosetta Bernasko-Essah, with Justices Dr. Ernest Owusu-Dapaa and Ayitey Armah-Tetteh as members, informed the parties that it could not immediately deliver its ruling.
The panel consequently adjourned the matter indefinitely, indicating that it would seek the necessary warrant from Chief Justice Justice Paul Baffoe-Bonnie to deliver its decision during the legal vacation, which commenced on August 1, 2026.
The latest proceedings arise from the Attorney-General’s determination to overturn the landmark Court of Appeal judgment delivered on July 30, 2026, which unanimously acquitted and discharged Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu after setting aside her conviction by the High Court (Financial Division).
The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice filed both a Notice of Appeal to the Supreme Court and a motion seeking a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal’s decision, arguing that the acquittal should not take effect while the Supreme Court determines the state’s appeal.
The application was heard under unusual circumstances in an almost empty courtroom, attended only by the three appellate judges, court clerks and lawyers representing both sides.
Representing the Attorney-General was State Attorney Enoch Deegbe, assisted by Sydney Antonio, while Hilda Craig appeared for Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.
Following arguments from both parties, the judges retired to consider their decision. However, after nearly two hours behind closed doors, the panel returned without a ruling.
Justice Bernasko-Essah informed counsel that the judges had been unable to conclude their conference and would therefore defer their decision until a later date.
The indefinite adjournment means that, for now, the Court of Appeal’s judgment acquitting and discharging Tamakloe remains in force unless and until either the appellate court grants the stay application or the Supreme Court overturns the judgment.
The Attorney-General’s appeal followed widespread public and political reactions to the Court of Appeal’s decision to quash Tamakloe’s conviction.
The NDC Government has maintained that the prosecution presented sufficient evidence during the High Court trial and insists the acquittal should be reviewed by the country’s highest court.
According to reports, the Attorney-General moved swiftly after the appellate judgment, filing the appeal and stay application in less than 24 hours.
The state also ensured that copies of both the Notice of Appeal and the motion for stay of execution were served on Tamakloe while she was at the Nsawam Medium Security Female Prison shortly after the Court of Appeal ordered her release.
The speed with which the application was filed has attracted public attention, particularly because the Court of Appeal convened to hear the motion despite a circular from the Judicial Secretary directing courts in Accra not to sit on July 31, 2026, to enable members of the Judiciary participate in activities marking the 150th anniversary celebration of the Supreme Court of Ghana.
The panel nevertheless heard the application before the commencement of the annual legal vacation, underscoring the urgency attached to the matter by the Attorney-General’s Department.
The Sedina Tamakloe case has become one of Ghana’s most contentious criminal prosecutions in recent years.
The former MASLOC Chief Executive was prosecuted following investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) into alleged financial irregularities during her tenure between 2013 and 2016.
She was subsequently tried before the High Court (Financial Division), convicted in absentia in April 2024 on multiple charges, including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, conspiracy, money laundering and procurement-related offences, and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
After returning to Ghana from the United States in June 2026 to begin serving her sentence, the Court of Appeal, in a unanimous decision delivered on July 30, 2026, quashed both her conviction and sentence, acquitting and discharging her.
That ruling immediately generated sharp political reactions, with the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) describing it as a miscarriage of justice, while members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) welcomed the judgment as proof that the original prosecution was legally flawed.
