Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has justified his office’s decision to challenge the Court of Appeal’s acquittal of former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, arguing that the move is based on legal considerations and the need to uphold accountability.

The Court of Appeal recently overturned the 10-year jail sentence handed to Madam Tamakloe-Attionu and acquitted her on all charges after concluding that the prosecution did not establish its case beyond reasonable doubt.

The judgment was delivered by a three-member panel made up of Justice Emmanuel Ankamah, Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe and Justice Samuel Obeng-Diawuo, who held that the evidence presented by the state was insufficient to support a conviction.

Speaking on Thursday, July 30, after presenting government’s White Paper on the recommendations of the Constitutional Review Committee (CRC), Dr Ayine said he had not yet gone through the full details of the Court of Appeal’s ruling and therefore could not comment on its substance.

“As a lawyer of many years’ standing, I will not comment on a matter until I have read the judgment, and I have not read the judgment of the Court of Appeal. It has been sent to me; I have not read it,” he said.

However, the Attorney General maintained that his decision to pursue an appeal was a professional judgment and one he continues to support.

“I took the professional decision, and I stand by it in principle that the appeal should be opposed,” he stated.

Dr Ayine explained that although the case, including the extradition request connected to it, was initiated under the previous administration, his office was obligated to continue with the process because government remains a continuous institution.

“I inherited the docket, I inherited the extradition request, but government is a continuum. I reviewed the documents and I worked on them,” he said.

He stressed that the appeal was not targeted at the former MASLOC CEO personally but was motivated by the broader objective of ensuring accountability in public office.

“So, this is a principle stance and it is a stance about accountability for this country,” he added.

The Attorney General also rejected claims that the decision was influenced by political interests or personal disagreements with Madam Tamakloe-Attionu, revealing that the two have a personal relationship.

“It’s not about individuals. If it were about individuals, let me tell you, Sedina is my friend. She’s my personal friend. It’s not about personalities. It’s about this country,” he said.

Dr Ayine further dismissed suggestions that the appeal was filed to protect his image or that of the government, insisting that such considerations did not influence his actions.

“I am not the type of person who fears losing face. I am not doing this because I want to save face for either myself or the President of the Republic,” he stated.

He said the decision was reached based on legal advice and professional assessments from officials at the Attorney General’s Department.

“I’m doing it based upon professional considerations and also on the advice of the excellent men and women who work with me at the Attorney General’s Department,” he added.

Dr Ayine said his office would carefully examine the Court of Appeal’s judgment before submitting detailed grounds of appeal to the Supreme Court.

“We’ll review the judgment. You will see the grounds of appeal, and I’m sure at that point in time we can all have a discussion as to whether or not the appeal has any merit,” he said.