Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, the former Deputy Attorney General, has said the Court of Appeal did a shoddy job in its decision to overturn the conviction of former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.
According to the former Deputy AG, the Court of Appeal judgment did not fully consider the evidence presented during the trial.
He argued that the reasoning behind the appellate court’s decision placed undue focus on selected aspects of the case while failing to properly assess the full body of evidence, insisting that there was sufficient evidence available to support the original judgement.
Speaking to Citi News, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah stated, “The court shall not set aside the judgment on the grounds that the charges were defective. And let me also place on record, anyone who wants to appreciate the actual evidence in this particular case will be doing himself a great disservice if he chooses to look at the Court of Appeal judgment alone without regard to the judgment given by the trial court.
“What the Court of Appeal did in this particular instance is to isolate areas that they thought were convenient to them. If you take the actual judgment, you will realise that what they did was rather a shoddy job.
“What is the evidence on record, because they also indicated that there wasn’t evidence on record? And I can say that there was this mountain of evidence on record that was never availed, and those pieces of evidence on record would lead any reasonable court to a conclusion that Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu had a case to answer.”
Also, Godfred Dame, the former Attorney General, has disagreed with the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.
According to Godfred Dame, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu was convicted on very credible evidence.
Godfred Dame argued that the reasons behind the former MASLOC CEO’s acquittal should be directed to the current Attorney General.
Speaking in an interview with Citi FM, Godfred Dame stated, “Sedina was convicted on very credible evidence and all, and he conducted the appeal. So, find out from the current Attorney General what he feels about the acquittal of Sedina and why Sedina was acquitted. I don’t know why she was acquitted”.
“It cannot be the case at all [proving beyond a reasonable doubt]… Sedina actually absconded after she had been confronted with the evidence led by the prosecution. It was not for nothing,” he added.
“Do you know the kind of opposition that he mounted to the appeal? Was there any opposition at all? I don’t know,” he stated.
However, Justice Abdulai, a private legal practitioner, has said the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, is a sound judgment.
The private legal practitioner defended the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu despite the intense political debate it has generated.
According to Justice Abdulai, after a careful legal assessment, the Court of Appeal’s reasoning leaves little room for criticism.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, August 1, Justice Abdulai stated, “Unfortunately, I cannot divorce myself from the political angle, but I do respect the opinions of my colleagues from both angles. There is a bit of politics, there is indeed a bit of public perception, and then there is the purely legal aspect of it”.
“I think the legal bit is where most people would not want to address because, looking at the judgment as delivered, I think it will be very difficult for you to fault it completely. It is a sound judgment. It’s a good law,” he stated.
“So faulting it or using it as a basis for these arguments may not yield to those who would want to take this whole argument from the legal angle. It is easier then to make it politics rather than legal,” he added.
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