Former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, has been released from prison custody, bringing a dramatic new twist to one of Ghana’s most closely watched financial crime cases.
Her release on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, comes nearly two weeks after the Court of Appeal overturned her conviction, quashed her 10-year prison sentence and acquitted and discharged her.
The former MASLOC boss had remained in custody despite the appellate ruling as legal proceedings continued over attempts to halt the implementation of the judgment. However, the Attorney-General subsequently withdrew an application seeking a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal’s decision. The appellate court struck out the application as withdrawn on August 12, effectively clearing the way for Tamakloe-Attionu to regain her freedom.
Tamakloe-Attionu’s legal troubles date back several years. In April 2024, an Accra High Court convicted her in absentia on multiple charges connected to her tenure at MASLOC and handed her a 10-year custodial sentence. The charges included allegations of stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, improper payment of public funds and breaches of procurement laws.
She had travelled to the United States in 2021 with court permission for medical treatment but did not return to continue the trial. She was later extradited to Ghana, arriving on June 9, 2026, before beginning her prison sentence later that month.
Her lawyers challenged the conviction, and the Court of Appeal ultimately ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt, setting aside the High Court judgment.
Although Tamakloe-Attionu is now free, the legal battle may not be completely over. The Attorney-General has indicated that the State intends to challenge the Court of Appeal ruling at the Supreme Court.
For now, however, the former MASLOC chief has walked out of custody following a stunning reversal of the decade-long prison sentence that once hung over her.
