The Court of Appeal has struck out as withdrawn an application by the Attorney-General seeking to stay the execution of its decision acquitting and discharging former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer, Christine Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.
The State informed the court on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, that it had filed a notice of withdrawal on August 10, bringing the application before the Court of Appeal to an end. Following the withdrawal, the State filed its appeal process at the Supreme Court.
The Attorney-General had initially asked the appellate court to suspend the effect of the acquittal pending the determination of a further appeal, arguing that allowing the acquittal to take immediate effect could allow Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu to leave the jurisdiction.
Lawyers for Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu raised procedural concerns regarding the withdrawal. Speaking to the media after proceedings, defense counsel Sidney Antonio stated that the Attorney-General should have sought leave of the court before filing the notice, especially since Wednesday had been scheduled for the court’s ruling.
“Today’s date was given by the court for the court to deliver its ruling, and we were just served yesterday with a notice of withdrawal. We believe the proper thing should have been for the Attorney-General to have sought leave of the court before going ahead and withdraw because today’s business was for delivering of ruling and that should have gone on today,” he said.
When asked about reports that the Attorney-General had filed a similar stay application at the Supreme Court, Mr. Antonio noted that the defense team had not been formally served.
“We have not been served formally with any such motion, but as you have heard we have also heard about it,” he said.
The proceedings follow 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 appellate court acquitted and discharged her after finding that the prosecution failed to prove its case on 78 counts, including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.