BY DANIEL BAMPOE
Former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, has been released from custody after the Attorney-General withdrew an application seeking to keep her in prison pending the State’s appeal against her acquittal at the Supreme Court.
The development, which brings an immediate end to her detention at the Nsawam Medium Security Female Prison, followed a decision by the Court of Appeal on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, to strike out the State’s application for a stay of execution after prosecutors formally informed the court that they no longer wished to pursue it.
The Attorney-General’s notice of withdrawal was filed on August 10, with counsel for the Republic, Hilda Craig, led by Winifred Sarpong, confirming the State’s position when the matter came before the appellate court.
The withdrawal clears the legal path for Tamakloe-Attionu to walk free after the same Court of Appeal overturned her 10-year prison sentence and acquitted and discharged her on July 30, 2026.
Her release comes nearly two weeks after the landmark appellate decision that dramatically reversed the outcome of a corruption case that had attracted intense public, political and legal attention.
Tamakloe-Attionu served as MASLOC Chief Executive from November 2013 to January 2017. She was prosecuted on 78 counts, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the State, money laundering, improper payment of public funds and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.
The case culminated in April 2024 when the Accra High Court convicted her in absentia and sentenced her to 10 years’ imprisonment.
She had been outside Ghana during the proceedings and subsequently returned to the country in June 2026 following her extradition from the United States. Upon her arrival, she was taken into custody to begin serving the sentence imposed by the High Court.
However, her lawyers challenged the conviction before the Court of Appeal, setting the stage for one of the most consequential developments in the case.
On July 30, the appellate court unanimously overturned the High Court conviction and sentence and acquitted and discharged her.
The ruling immediately triggered a political storm, with the opposition New Patriotic Party questioning the basis for the acquittal and accusing the government of benefiting politically from the outcome.
The governing National Democratic Congress, on the other hand, welcomed the judgment, with members arguing that the original prosecution had been politically motivated and that the appellate court had properly corrected errors in the trial.
The Attorney-General subsequently moved to prevent the immediate effect of the acquittal by filing an application for a stay of execution while preparing an appeal to the Supreme Court.
That application was heard on July 31, but the Court of Appeal did not immediately deliver its decision. The matter was subsequently adjourned as the judges sought to determine whether the State had established sufficient grounds to suspend the effect of the acquittal.
The continued detention of Tamakloe-Attionu during this period became another major political controversy, with supporters and NDC activists demanding her immediate release.
A coalition of 1,152 NDC women, comprising market traders and party organisers in the Greater Accra Region, had petitioned Attorney-General Dr Dominic Akuritinga Ayine to release her, arguing that she should not remain in prison after being acquitted by an appellate court.
The State’s withdrawal of the stay application has now effectively resolved that immediate detention dispute.
At Wednesday’s proceedings, Tamakloe-Attionu’s lawyer, Sidney Antonio, acknowledged receipt of the State’s notice of withdrawal but raised a procedural objection, arguing that the Attorney-General should have sought the court’s leave before withdrawing the application.
The court noted the concern but also observed that the respondent did not oppose the withdrawal. It consequently struck out the application as withdrawn.
The significance of the decision is that there is now no pending application before the Court of Appeal seeking to suspend the effect of its July 30 judgment. Tamakloe-Attionu is therefore free following the acquittal and discharge.
The State, however, has not abandoned the substantive legal battle.
The Attorney-General has already appealed the Court of Appeal’s decision to the Supreme Court, meaning that although Tamakloe-Attionu has regained her freedom, the case itself remains alive.
The Supreme Court will ultimately determine whether the Court of Appeal was correct to overturn the High Court’s conviction.
