The Court of Appeal has overturned the criminal convictions against former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Christine Tamakloe, bringing an end to the High Court judgment that had sentenced her to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
In a decision delivered on Thursday, the appellate court allowed Ms Tamakloe’s appeal, quashed the convictions entered against her by the High Court and ordered that she be acquitted and discharged. The full judgment explaining the basis for the decision is yet to be released.
The ruling marks a significant twist in a high-profile prosecution that has been before the courts for several years over allegations relating to Ms Tamakloe’s tenure as head of MASLOC between 2013 and 2017.
She was prosecuted alongside the Centre’s former Operations Manager, Daniel Axim, on multiple counts, including causing financial loss to the state, conspiracy, stealing, money laundering and procurement-related offences arising from the alleged misapplication of public funds and the acquisition of vehicles for the state-run lending institution.
In April 2024, the Financial Division of the Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, convicted Ms Tamakloe after the trial proceeded in her absence. The court had found that she had failed to return to Ghana after travelling to the United States for medical treatment, despite being granted permission to do so during the trial.
Following her conviction, she challenged the judgment at the Court of Appeal, with her lawyers arguing, among other grounds, that the prosecution had failed to establish the offences beyond reasonable doubt and that the trial court erred in both its findings and application of the law.
While the appeal was pending, Ms Tamakloe was extradited from the United States to Ghana in June 2026 after American authorities approved Ghana’s extradition request. She was subsequently taken into custody to begin serving the prison sentence imposed by the High Court pending the determination of her appeal. The extradition was reported to be the first from the United States to Ghana since 2009.
Thursday’s decision by the Court of Appeal effectively nullifies the High Court’s judgment, meaning the convictions and sentence imposed on the former MASLOC Chief Executive no longer stand.
The Attorney-General is expected to review the appellate court’s judgment before deciding whether to invoke the State’s right to pursue a further appeal at the Supreme Court. The detailed reasons underpinning the Court of Appeal’s decision are expected to be made available in due course.
