Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has described the acquittal and discharge of former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, as “shameful and scary”.

The journalist made the comment in a social media post on Thursday, July 30, following the Court of Appeal’s decision to overturn Ms Tamakloe-Attionu’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence.

The court ruled that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.

Ms Tamakloe-Attionu was convicted in absentia by the Accra High Court in April 2024 on charges including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, money laundering and procurement-related offences.

She was later extradited from the United States and returned to Ghana on June 9, 2026, to begin serving her sentence.

Reacting to the ruling, Mr Azure wrote: “It’s shameful and scary at the same time.”

In a separate post, the journalist added: “Very few people didn’t see this coming.”

The former MASLOC boss had appealed the High Court’s decision, arguing that the charges brought against her were defective and failed to provide sufficient particulars of the alleged offences.

Her appeal challenged convictions on several counts, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, causing loss to public property, improper payment of public funds, unauthorised commitment resulting in financial obligation to the government, money laundering and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.

The Attorney General’s Office opposed the appeal and urged the Court of Appeal to uphold the earlier judgment.

However, the appellate court ruled in favour of Ms Tamakloe-Attionu, effectively quashing her conviction and sentence and bringing the criminal proceedings against her to an end.