The Legal Affairs Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gary Nimako Marfo, says the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, has strengthened his confidence that Ashanti Regional Chairman of the party, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, will also succeed in overturning his conviction on appeal.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile programme on Saturday, August 1, Mr Nimako said a comparison of both cases revealed similarities in the legal issues involved, arguing that the reasoning adopted by the appellate court in the Sedina case provides grounds for optimism regarding Chairman Wontumi’s appeal.
“This judgment, as it stands, gives me hope in Wontumi’s appeal. Yes, because if you read Wontumi’s judgment at the High Court, and the manner in which the conviction took place, and you juxtapose that judgment vis-a-vis this particular judgment, then clearly, I can tell the people that look, Wontumi will succeed in an appeal, if you take this judgment into consideration,” he stated.
His comments follow the Court of Appeal’s decision to set aside the conviction and 10-year prison sentence imposed on Ms Tamakloe-Attionu by the High Court over alleged financial irregularities involving MASLOC funds.
The appellate court acquitted and discharged the former MASLOC boss after allowing her appeal against both the conviction and sentence.
Mr Nimako argued that the legal principles applied in the Sedina case could equally influence the outcome of Chairman Wontumi’s appeal, as he challenges a 20-year custodial sentence imposed by the High Court over offences related to illegal mining activities.
He maintained that there are common legal issues between the two cases and said the Court of Appeal’s latest decision had reinforced his belief that the conviction against Chairman Wontumi could be overturned.
Chairman Wontumi has filed an appeal against both his conviction and sentence, arguing that the High Court erred in its findings. The Court of Appeal is expected to determine whether the trial court properly applied the law and assessed the evidence before arriving at its decision.
He is currently serving his sentence while his legal team pursues the appeal.
In the MASLOC case, the Court of Appeal unanimously held that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and consequently overturned the convictions entered against Ms Tamakloe-Attionu by the High Court.
Her appeal challenged both the substance of the conviction and the legality of her trial and sentencing in absentia. Her lawyers argued that the charges were defective and that the prosecution failed to establish the offences against her.
Ms Tamakloe-Attionu was extradited from the United States to Ghana on June 9, 2026, and began serving her 10-year sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Female Prison on June 24 before the Court of Appeal quashed the conviction.
The ruling has sparked debate among legal practitioners, governance experts and anti-corruption advocates, with differing views on whether it highlights weaknesses in the prosecution’s case or broader challenges within Ghana’s criminal justice system.
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