The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has filed an urgent application at the Court of Appeal, requesting a stay of execution to block the implementation of the judgment that acquitted and discharged former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) CEO, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu
The high-stakes application, filed on Thursday, July 30, came just hours after a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal unanimously overturned Attionu’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence with hard labour.
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The state is now racing against time to prevent what it describes as a ‘substantial miscarriage of justice,’ arguing that the appellate court’s ruling contains ‘material errors of law and fact’ that must be reviewed by the Supreme Court.
Stay of execution
According to court documents, the Attorney-General’s office, through Principal State Attorney Hilda W. Craig, is requesting the Court of Appeal’s Criminal Division in Accra to suspend the effect of its July 30 judgment until the Supreme Court determines the state’s pending appeal.
The motion is supported by an affidavit sworn by Assistant State Attorney Andrew Owusu-Agyemang, which outlines the complex timeline of the case:
Attionu was first arraigned before the High Court on 78 charges, including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, and procurement-related offences. During trial, Attionu left Ghana for the United States, forcing the court to proceed in her absence
The appellate court, comprising Justices Emmanuel Ankamah, Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe, and Samuel Obeng-Diawuo, held that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt. The panel also criticised the trial court for losing sight of the constitutional principle that every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Why the acquittal must be suspended
The Attorney-General contends that the Court of Appeal’s decision has fundamentally undermined the integrity of the judicial process.
The affidavit filed by the state for the stay of execution argues the appellate court allegedly overlooked crucial evidence that established the prosecution’s case. The state maintains that its appeal to the Supreme Court raises substantial and arguable grounds
“Failing to grant a stay of execution could render the intended appeal ineffective if the acquittal remains in force before the Supreme Court determines the matter,” the affidavit states.
The case has become a lightning rod for broader concerns about judicial accountability, corruption prosecution, and the effectiveness of Ghana’s anti-graft institutions. The MASLOC scandal, which involved millions of cedis in alleged misappropriation, has been one of the most high-profile corruption cases in Ghana’s recent history.
If the Court of Appeal grants the stay of execution, Attionu will remain incarcerated at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison until the Supreme Court delivers its final ruling.
What’s Next?
The Court of Appeal’s Criminal Division is expected to hear the urgent application in the coming days. The Attorney-General has expressed confidence that the Supreme Court will ultimately overturn the appellate court’s decision, describing the ruling as a “dangerous precedent” that could undermine the fight against corruption.