Ghana Appeal Court free ex-govment official Sedina Tamakloe wey di US extradite to serve her 10-year jail term for corruption and stealing

Di Court of Appeal for Ghana don acquit and discharge ex-CEO of di Small Loans and Microfinance Center (Masloc), wey bin dey serve 10 years for jail ova corruption.

Di court bin overturn di earlier High Court sentence of Sedina Tamakloe Attionu afta di US extradite her to Ghana to begin her jail term for June dis year.

According to di Court of Appeal three-member panel Justice Emmanuel Ankamah,

Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe and Justice Samuel Obeng-Diawuo, di prosecution fail to prove dia case against di ex-govment official beyond reasonable doubt.

Di High Court for 2024 bin sentence Sedina to 10 years for prison for causing financial loss to di state and stealing afta her trail in absentia togeda wit one of her deputy directors at di time she be CEO for di Loans Center.

Lawyers for Sedina Tamakloe bin argue for court say di charges bin dey "fundamentally defective wey di prosecution bin fail to establish di offenses beyond reasonable doubt."

Di court bin gree wit her lawyers wey dem bash di prosecution ova di way dem conduct di trial.

Di court tok say di High court judge bin lose sight of di constitutional principle say every accused pesin dey innocent until proven guilty.

Dem also add say di evidence wey di prosecution present bin "fall short of di legal standard required to sustain di conviction."

Dem say none of di witnesses di prosecution bin use for di trial, prove say di ex-Masloc CEO bin dey guilty of stealing.

Di Appeal court also fault di charge sheet by di prosecution for dis trial.

Background of di case

For 16 April, 2024, High Court for Ghana sentence di ex-CEO for di microfinance centre to 10 years in jail wit hard labour.

Di court also sentence her chief operating officer Daniel Axim to five years in prison wit hard labour.

Dem do di trial of Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu from 2019 to 2024 in absentia sake of say she comot Ghana wey she bin no return, even afta dem convict her.

Di court find di two pipo guilty on 78 counts of causing financial loss to di state, theft, conspiracy to steal, money laundering among odas.

Six witnesses testify for di state for dat case, her co-accused pesin wey be di chief operating officer Daniel Axim testify for di court but e neva present any witness.

Prosecution allege say Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu and her co-accused embezzle GHC 3.19m ($295k) during her time as CEO wey dem cause financial loss of GHC 1.97m ($182K) to di state.

Dem also dey accused say dem make "unauthorised commitment wey result in financial obligation to di amount of GHC 61.4m ($6m) for di govment."

Di charges also include GHC 22.15m ($2.1m) in property loss, improper payment of GHC 274K ($26K) and laundering of GHC 3.7m ($342k).

Di high court find di two pipo guilty wey dem sentence dem to 10 years and five years respectively.

But Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu bin no return to di kontri to serve her jail term.

Dem extradite Sedina Tamakloe Attionu for June 2026

US authorities bin arrest Sedina Tamakloe upon request from di Ghana govment; dem keep her for custody until US authorities approve her extradition.

For 9 June, US authorities confam say dem finally send di ex-Ghana govment official back to her kontri to face di law.

Inside one statement on top di US embassy for Ghana social media page, dem tok say "Justice no get borders".

"Di United States don extradite Sedina Tamakloe Attionu to Ghana, afta her conviction ova more dan 70 corruption-related charges, wey include embezzling more dan $6M of Ghana taxpayer moni."

Dem add say "dis be our strong U.S.-Ghana law enforcement partnership wey dey in action; dia dem show say we dey committed to accountability".

Dis be di first extradition from di United States to Ghana since 2009.

She appeal her 10-year sentence afta she return to Ghana

Ghana govment officials bin confam say Sedina Tamakloe enta di Nsawam prison afta her extradition wey she begin to serve her 10-year jail term.

Opposition politicians bin raise doubt wey dem tok say di former Masloc boss neva dey inside di prison.

Dem argue say her party wey dey in govment now (National Democratic Congress NDC), dey protect her.

Interior Minister Mohammed Muntaka Mubarak later tok for public say Sedina Tamakloe dey inside di prison to begin her jail term.

But her lawyers bin file appeal ova her sentence.

Now di Appeals court don free her.

Civil society groups and di opposition political party wey bin prosecute her, say di ruling dey against di corruption fight.

Former deputy Attorney General for di previous New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alfred Tuah-Yeboah tok say "I no dey surprised about dis decision, we sabi say dis tin go happun, wey dem go according to di playbook."

"Dis be serious slap against corruption fight for Ghana. We provide all di evidence to di court but if di Appeals Court say di evidence no prove her guilt, den I dey feel sad for Ghana."

Di former deputy Attorney General wey dey in charge of dis prosecution say "Ghana get long way to go if dis be wetin di Appeals Court dey tok afta all di evidence we submit wey show say Sedina Tamakloe indeed dey guilty."

"We provide all dis evidence, and when she carry some of di money inside Ghana-must-go bag, we provide dis evidence, but she neva tok her side of di story, she neva defend herself," Alfred Tuah-Yeboah tok local network TV3 afta di Appeal Court ruling.

"Tomorrow dey pregnant, dis ruling mean say anybody fit do anytin and steal money, when your party come to govment, dem go free you."