ACCRA, Ghana – Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has expressed disappointment over the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, saying the ruling raises fresh concerns about accountability.
Speaking on JoyNews’ _Newsfile_ on Saturday, August 1, Mr. Awuni said the appellate court’s decision left him questioning whether the risks involved in investigative journalism are worth it.
“I feel the same way I felt when I first heard of the appeal and the outcome,” he said.
“There have been times in my life when I have asked myself whether it is even worth it. And this has been one of those instances where everybody knows that wrong has been done.”
Court Overturns 10-Year Conviction
On Thursday, a three-member Court of Appeal panel overturned Ms. Tamakloe-Attionu’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence imposed by the High Court.
The court held that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The ruling followed an appeal challenging both her conviction and the legality of being tried and sentenced in absentia. Her lawyers argued that the charges were defective and that the prosecution failed to prove the offences.
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 set aside the conviction.
“Nobody is Going to Account for the Wrongdoing”
Reflecting on the judgment, Mr. Awuni lamented what he described as a lack of consequences for wrongdoing despite extensive investigative work backed by documentary evidence.
“But as things stand, nobody is going to account for the wrongdoing,” he stated.
“And it hurts when you spend your time, you risk your life and do all of these things. This is just one of the many instances where I have done work with evidence, and it ended up nowhere.”
The award-winning journalist, known for exposing several high-profile corruption and governance cases, said outcomes like the MASLOC case could discourage journalists committed to exposing wrongdoing in the public interest.
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