Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Godfred Yeboah Dame has rejected claims that his office knew about an appeal filed by former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu in 2024, describing the allegations as “false and devious”.
In a statement issued on Friday, 31 July, Mr Dame said attempts by communicators of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) to blame the Akufo-Addo administration for Ms Tamakloe-Attionu’s eventual acquittal were baseless.
He said no notice of appeal had reached the Office of the Attorney-General during his time in office.
Mr Dame added that state attorneys told the Court of Appeal, both orally and in writing, in April 2026 that they had not been served with any notice of appeal. They only became aware of the case after the court instructed the parties to submit written arguments, he said.
He argued that, even if an appeal had been lodged in 2024, it had remained procedurally dormant because the appellant took no action until after the NDC came to power.
Mr Dame said his main focus as Attorney-General had been securing the extradition of Ms Tamakloe-Attionu to Ghana so she could serve a 10-year sentence imposed by the High Court.
His office began extradition proceedings in the United States. Those proceedings resulted in an order from the U.S. District Court of Nevada on 9 April 2026 committing Ms Tamakloe-Attionu to custody while she awaited a decision by the U.S. Secretary of State.
According to Mr Dame, no reference was made during the extradition process to an appeal supposedly filed in Ghana.
He said lawyers representing Ms Tamakloe-Attionu were granted permission by the Court of Appeal on 10 February 2026 to file written submissions. That was two days after he left office.
The lawyers filed their submissions on 12 February, and state attorneys were served on 16 February. Mr Dame said the state lawyers were “surprised” because they had received no prior notification that an appeal existed.
State attorneys subsequently filed their own submissions on 9 April 2026. In doing so, they raised concerns about an incomplete record of appeal and the absence of exhibits from the original trial.
Mr Dame’s statement comes after the Attorney-General applied to the Supreme Court for a stay of execution of the Court of Appeal’s judgment acquitting and discharging Ms Tamakloe-Attionu.
The Attorney-General argues that she could leave Ghana before the Supreme Court reaches a decision on the State’s appeal.
Ms Tamakloe-Attionu was convicted in absentia on 16 April 2024 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. The offences included causing financial loss to the state, stealing and money laundering.
The Court of Appeal later overturned the conviction and discharged her, ruling that the prosecution had failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt.
