The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has strongly criticised the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedinam Christine Tamakloe Attionu, describing the ruling as a “travesty of justice” and alleging that Ghana’s justice system has become politicised.
In a statement issued on Thursday, July 30, and signed by the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, the NPP said it received the court’s decision with “utter shock and dismay.”
The party argued that Madam Attionu had previously been convicted by the High Court in April 2024 after a five-year trial on multiple charges, including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering and breaches of the Public Procurement Act. She was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment.
According to the NPP, the High Court found that her actions as MASLOC CEO between 2013 and 2016 resulted in a financial loss of nearly GH¢90 million to the state.
The statement also recalled that Madam Attionu left Ghana while the trial was ongoing, was convicted in absentia, and was later extradited from the United States before arriving in Ghana on June 9, 2026.
The opposition party maintained that the trial court’s judgment was based on substantial evidence and questioned how the conviction could have been overturned.
“The judgment meticulously details, count after count, the fraudulent disbursements, the unaccounted-for funds and the deliberate schemes by which the resources of MASLOC were diverted.
That a conviction anchored on such an abundance of evidence could be overturned in this manner defies logic, law and common sense,” the statement said.
The NPP further alleged that the Court of Appeal’s ruling was politically motivated, pointing to what it described as a pattern of discontinued prosecutions involving individuals linked to the governing party since January 2025.
According to the party, the Attorney-General has withdrawn or discontinued several cases involving government-affiliated persons, creating what it called a double standard in the administration of justice.
“The pattern is unmistakable: if you are connected to the government of the day, the criminal justice system will find a way to set you free,” the statement alleged.
The party said the ruling undermines public confidence in the judiciary and diminishes years of investigative work by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), the efforts of prosecutors, and the resources spent on securing Madam Attionu’s extradition.
As part of its demands, the NPP called on the Attorney-General to discontinue all ongoing criminal cases involving former appointees of the previous NPP administration if the same standard is to be applied.
The party also demanded the immediate acquittal and discharge of its Ashanti Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, arguing that his conviction and 20-year prison sentence with hard labour were politically motivated and are currently being challenged at the Court of Appeal.
Additionally, the NPP called on the Attorney-General to publicly account for all cases involving persons affiliated with the governing party that have been discontinued or withdrawn since January 2025 and explain the reasons behind those decisions.
The party further urged the Judicial Council and the leadership of the Judiciary to take urgent steps to restore public confidence in Ghana’s justice system.
Despite the Court of Appeal’s ruling, the NPP said it would pursue every legal avenue available, including seeking a review of the decision at the Supreme Court where applicable.
“The fight against corruption cannot and must not be a partisan convenience,” the statement concluded, adding that “Ghana deserves better. The public purse belongs to the people, not to any political party.”
CREDIT: MAVIS FANTEVI