Former Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah has criticised the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, describing the ruling as legally flawed and a setback to Ghana’s fight against corruption.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen, Mr Tuah-Yeboah said he strongly disagreed with the appellate court’s decision, insisting that the prosecution had presented sufficient evidence to support the charges against the former MASLOC boss.
“I disagree with the Court of Appeal. They failed to do a good job. The judgment cannot stand the test of any legal scrutiny,” he said.
According to him, the court erred in relying on what it considered defects in the charge sheet to overturn the conviction.
“You don’t acquit someone on the grounds that the charge sheet is defective. You have to examine whether the evidence supports the charges before the court,” he argued.
He maintained that where a charge sheet is found to be defective, the proper legal remedy is to order a retrial rather than acquit the accused person.
“If you say the charge sheet is defective, what you do is order the trial to start all over again,” he stated.
Mr Tuah-Yeboah further insisted that the prosecution had presented compelling evidence showing that Sedina Tamakloe had misappropriated public funds.
“There is solid evidence against her. On what basis then will the Court of Appeal say there was no evidence? The state prosecutors did a thorough job on this matter,” he said.
The former Deputy Attorney General warned that such decisions could weaken efforts to combat corruption and create the impression that public officials could evade accountability.
“We must tighten the loose ends and not make politicians think they can get away with everything. It is a slap in the face of the fight against corruption,” he added.
His comments follow Thursday’s ruling by the Court of Appeal, which acquitted and discharged Ms Tamakloe Attionu after concluding that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The former MASLOC CEO had faced multiple charges, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, unauthorised commitment resulting in financial obligations for the government, and money laundering. The appellate court’s decision overturned her earlier conviction, bringing the high-profile case to an end unless further legal action is pursued by the state.
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