The opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, of using his office to help members and allies of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) avoid corruption-related prosecutions.
The accusation comes after the Court of Appeal on Thursday acquitted and discharged former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.
The court also overturned her earlier conviction and 10-year prison sentence.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, July 31, 2026, the NPP’s National Organiser, Henry Nana Boakye, said the MASLOC ruling was part of what he believes is a deliberate effort by the Attorney General to stop or overturn criminal cases involving former NDC officials.
“Ladies and gentlemen, let me proceed by stating that it has become the modus operandi of this Attorney General. It was an agenda well-conceived to free all their people,” he alleged.
Mr Boakye said the Attorney General had taken similar steps in several other high-profile corruption cases involving former government officials.
Using the SSNIT financial loss case as an example, he claimed the Attorney General filed a nolle prosequi to discontinue the case against the former Director-General, the Board Chairman, and two others, even after the court ruled that they had a case to answer.
“The court had ruled that you have a case to answer. So open your defence. Yet the Attorney General… just went to court, entered a nolle prosequi, and acquitted and discharged all of them,” he said.
Mr Boakye also referred to the UniBank case, which involved alleged financial losses of about GH¢5.7 billion. He claimed the Attorney General withdrew the case after the court had ordered the accused persons to open their defence.
“Again, the court had ruled that they have a case to answer. Yet this Attorney General, because it is already a well-conceived agenda to free their people, again went to court with a stroke of a pen, entered a nolle prosequi, and freed all of them,” Mr Boakye alleged.
The NPP National Organiser also mentioned the Saglemi Housing Project case involving former Works and Housing Minister Collins Dauda and others, as well as the COCOBOD trial.
He said these cases showed what he described as a pattern of dropping prosecutions against former NDC officials.
Speaking about the Court of Appeal’s decision in the MASLOC case, Mr Boakye said the NPP was not surprised by the outcome.
“So we are not surprised that from day one, they had already conceived that we are going to free Madam Sedina Tamakloe,” he stated.
Meanwhile, the Attorney General has instructed the Director of Public Prosecutions to immediately file an appeal at the Supreme Court against the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge Madam Tamakloe-Attionu.
In a press release issued on July 30, 2026, the Attorney General said his office had taken note of the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn the conviction of the former MASLOC CEO on 78 charges, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the State, money laundering, and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.
“Having received notice of the Court of Appeal’s decision, the Attorney-General has directed the Director of Public Prosecutions to immediately file a notice of appeal to the Supreme Court, together with an application for a stay of execution of the judgment pending the determination of the appeal,” the statement read.
The statement also said the State remains committed to pursuing the case.
“The Republic opposed the appeal by filing written submissions, contending that the appeal lacked merit and ought to be dismissed,” the statement added.
“The Attorney-General remains committed to the due process of law and is confident that the appeal before the Supreme Court will succeed.”
