The Court of Appeal has struck out an application by the Attorney-General seeking to stop the effect of its decision acquitting former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) CEO, Christine Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.
The State told the court on Wednesday, August 12, that it had withdrawn the application after filing a notice of withdrawal on August 10.
The withdrawal brings the application before the Court of Appeal to an end.
The State has, however, filed an appeal at the Supreme Court challenging the earlier decision that acquitted and discharged Mrs Tamakloe-Attionu.
The Attorney-General had asked the Court of Appeal to suspend the effect of the acquittal until the Supreme Court determined the further appeal.
The State argued that allowing the acquittal to take effect immediately could allow Mrs Tamakloe-Attionu to leave Ghana and make it difficult to pursue the case.
Lawyers for the former MASLOC CEO, however, questioned the way the application was withdrawn.
They argued that the Attorney-General should have sought the court’s permission before withdrawing the application, especially since Wednesday had already been set for the court to deliver its ruling.
Speaking to the media after the proceedings, defence lawyer Sidney Antonio said the court should have been allowed to rule on the application.
“The court gave today’s date for the court to deliver its ruling, and we were just served yesterday with a notice of withdrawal,” he said.
Mr Antonio said the defence believed the Attorney-General should have sought permission from the court before withdrawing the application.
He also said the defence had not been formally served with any new application filed by the Attorney-General at the Supreme Court.
“We have not been served formally with any such motion, but as you have heard we have also heard about it,” he said.
The development follows the Court of Appeal’s decision in July 2026 to overturn the 10-year prison sentence imposed on Mrs Tamakloe-Attionu by the Accra High Court in April 2024.
The Court of Appeal acquitted and discharged her after ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove its case.
Mrs Tamakloe-Attionu had been convicted on 78 counts, including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
She was sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour.
The Attorney-General subsequently sought to suspend the effect of the acquittal while pursuing a further appeal at the Supreme Court.
