Former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu Released Following Attorney-General's Withdrawal of Stay Application

In a significant legal development, a release warrant has been signed for Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), allowing her to walk free from custody. This follows the Attorney-General's decision on August 12, 2026, to withdraw a motion for a stay of execution that had previously sought to keep her imprisoned despite a successful appeal. The Court of Appeal subsequently struck out the state’s application, bringing an end to her two-week detention following her acquittal in late July.

The acquittal stems from a unanimous Court of Appeal ruling on July 30, 2026, which overturned Tamakloe-Attionu’s April 2024 conviction. The appellate court found that the original trial judge had erred by incorrectly shifting the burden of proof onto the accused, thereby violating her constitutional presumption of innocence. Tamakloe-Attionu had originally been sentenced to 10 years in prison for 78 counts of corruption-related charges, including conspiracy to steal and money laundering, related to her tenure at MASLOC between 2013 and 2017.

The case has become a flashpoint for political and social debate under the administration of President John Mahama. Prior to the Attorney-General's withdrawal of the motion, more than 1,100 women traders and National Democratic Congress (NDC) women organizers from the Greater Accra Region, alongside the Volta Youth Alliance, petitioned the Attorney-General for her immediate release. They argued that continued detention following a court acquittal was irregular and undermined public confidence in the judiciary and democratic institutions.

Political reactions to the release have been sharply divided. Andrews Agyapa Mercer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) characterized the situation as reflective of "selective justice," suggesting that the legal process has been managed to favor political allies since the NDC took office. Conversely, Abraham Amaliba, the former Director of Legal Affairs for the NDC, dismissed these claims as emotional rather than legal. Amaliba maintained that the release was the logical conclusion of the judicial process and emphasized that the government must respect the independence of the court's decisions.

While Tamakloe-Attionu has been released, the legal battle is not entirely over. The Office of the Attorney-General has indicated that it intends to challenge the Court of Appeal’s acquittal at the Supreme Court. State prosecutors maintain that the original conviction was sound and that an appeal is necessary for legal accountability. For now, however, the signing of the release warrant ensures that Tamakloe-Attionu remains free as the state prepares its next legal steps in the country's highest court.