Ghana Seeks Supreme Court Review of MASLOC CEO Acquittal
Published on 07/30/2026 at 23:57 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
Ghana's Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, has directed the Director of Public Prosecutions to file an appeal with the Supreme Court following the acquittal of Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC). The state is also seeking an urgent stay of execution against the Court of Appeal's judgment, signalling a major escalation in a case that has gripped national attention over accountability in public financial management.
Overturned Conviction Sparks Legal Challenge
The appeal follows a unanimous ruling by the Court of Appeal, where Justices Ankamah, Amedahe, and Obeng-Diawuo overturned a 10-year prison sentence previously handed to the former MASLOC head. The appellate court determined that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt and suggested that the initial trial judge had not sufficiently upheld the presumption of innocence.
Ms. Tamakloe Attionu had been convicted in absentia on 78 counts, including money laundering, stealing, and causing a financial loss to the state estimated at GH¢93 million. Following her extradition from the United States on June 9, 2026, the legal proceedings surrounding her tenure at MASLOC have drawn significant national attention.
Dr. Ayine characterised the appellate court's decision as a grave miscarriage of justice. He emphasised that the decision to pursue the matter at the Supreme Court is rooted in the principles of national interest and accountability, noting that the state intends to argue that the prosecution did indeed provide sufficient evidence during the initial trial.
Bombay High Court Reserves Judgment in Tejpal Appeal
In a separate legal development on July 30, 2026, the Bombay High Court reserved its verdict on an appeal filed by the State of Goa. The state is challenging the acquittal of Tarun Tejpal in relation to a sexual assault case dating back to 2013.
During the proceedings, Justices Neela Gokhale and Amit Jamsandekar heard arguments from the state, which contended that the trial court's previous judgment was perverse and focused excessively on the complainant's character. Legal representatives for Mr. Tejpal argued that the acquittal was soundly based on available CCTV footage, expert evidence, and message records.
Supreme Court Clarifies Appellate Standards
The Indian Supreme Court also addressed the standards for overturning acquittals on July 30, 2026. Justices J.B. Pardiwala and K. Vinod Chandran restored the acquittal of six individuals accused in a murder case originating in 1988. The justices clarified that the presumption of innocence is strengthened after an initial acquittal and that appellate courts should only interfere if the lower court's findings are clearly unsustainable. The court maintained that judicial decisions must rely on a complete chain of evidence rather than mere suspicion.
Additionally, the Supreme Court issued a notice to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. This notice concerns an appeal by the Chandigarh Administration against a High Court order that had quashed a criminal case involving the Chief Minister and other political leaders regarding a rioting incident. The state's legal representatives argued that the High Court's reasoning for quashing the case was flawed.
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