Ghana AG Withdraws Stay Application Against Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu Acquittal

• The Attorney-General has withdrawn its application seeking a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal's decision acquitting Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.
• The withdrawal clears the immediate path for her release, though the State has appealed the acquittal decision to the Supreme Court.
• The case had been ongoing for several years, with multiple players involved, including former National Petroleum Authority Chief Executive Officer Alex Mould and Gavivina Tamakloe.
• The acquittal marked a significant reversal for the State, which had initially sought to convict Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu of charges related to financial mismanagement at MASLOC.

The withdrawal effectively ends the attempt to keep Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu in custody, though the State has appealed the acquittal to the Supreme Court.

The withdrawal of the Attorney-General's stay application has cleared the immediate path for Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu's release, though the State has since appealed the Court of Appeal's acquittal decision to the Supreme Court. This decision, handed down on July 30, 2026, acquitted and discharged Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu after finding that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against her. The acquittal was a significant reversal for the State, which had initially sought to convict Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu of charges related to financial mismanagement at MASLOC. The Court's decision marked a major milestone in the long-running case, which has been marred by controversy and allegations of wrongdoing.

The acquittal of Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu was not without its challenges. The prosecution had accused her of embezzling GH¢500,000 paid by a company that benefited from MASLOC support in 2014, as well as misappropriating part of GH¢1.46 million allocated by the then President John Mahama to support victims of the Kantamanto Market fire disaster in Accra in 2013. The case had been ongoing for several years, with multiple players involved, including former National Petroleum Authority Chief Executive Officer Alex Mould and Gavivina Tamakloe. In January 2023, the High Court ordered Mr. Mould and Ms. Tamakloe to pay GH¢5 million for failing to produce Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu after she had been granted bail.

The withdrawal of the stay application by the Attorney-General has significant implications for lawyers handling similar cases. With the acquittal now standing, lawyers may need to reassess their clients' appeals and potential release from prison. The timeline and prospects of these cases could be impacted, as the withdrawal of the stay application effectively ends the attempt to keep Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu in custody pending the Supreme Court appeal. Lawyers are likely to be closely watching this development, as it may have far-reaching consequences for their clients' cases.

Lawyers should watch for the implications of this withdrawal on their clients' appeals and potential release from prison, as it may impact the timeline and prospects of their cases.

Source: Original reporting via Ghanaian Times