Why Sedina Attionu’s sentence must be allowed to stand - NPP details

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the government to allow the prison sentence imposed on former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, to stand without what it describes as any extra-judicial interference, while also demanding the suspension of the newly introduced Pre-Bar programme.

According to a report by graphic.com.gh on June 17, 2026, a statement signed by the Co-Chair of the NPP Constitutional and Legal Affairs Policy Committee and Member of Parliament for Asante Akyem Central, Kwame Anyimadu-Antwi, the party expressed concerns over what it termed a pattern of selective justice and disregard for legal processes under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration.

“We call on the government to allow the lawful sentence imposed on Attionu to stand, free of any extra-judicial interference, and to suspend the unlawful Pre-Bar regime,” the statement said.

The NPP argued that the handling of Attionu’s case and the implementation of the Legal Education Act, 2026 (Act 1170), raised serious questions about the government's commitment to the rule of law and institutional independence.

The party described Attionu’s conviction as one of the most significant corruption cases in recent years.

The NPP further noted that following her extradition from the United States on June 9, 2026, Attionu was returned to Ghana to begin serving her sentence.

While acknowledging that every convicted person has the right to appeal, the party cautioned against any political, administrative or discretionary actions that could undermine the court's decision outside the established judicial process.

“Every convicted person retains a lawful right of appeal, but we caution against any extra-judicial intervention, whether administrative, political or discretionary, to neutralise a final sentence outside the appellate process,” the statement added.

A breakdown of Sedina Tamakloe Attionu’s crimes

Beyond the Attionu case, the NPP also criticised the government's introduction of a mandatory one-year Pre-Bar Course under Act 1170, describing the programme as unlawful.

The party argued that the legislation only recognises three stages in legal education, the LLB programme, Law Practice Training and the National Bar Examination and does not provide for a Pre-Bar stage.

According to the NPP, the directive conflicts with the transitional provisions of the Act and has created uncertainty for thousands of law graduates seeking admission to professional legal training.

The party therefore called on the government to suspend the implementation of the programme, establish the Council for Legal Education and Training, and put in place the necessary regulations before proceeding with the reforms.

The statement also accused state security agencies, including EOCO, National Security and the Police, of increasingly targeting political opponents, journalists and commentators, while alleging that some corruption cases inherited from the previous administration had been discontinued or settled, creating what it described as an impression of unequal treatment before the law.

Attionu’s trial proceeded in absentia after she failed to return from medical leave granted by the court in 2021.

She was subsequently convicted and sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment in April 2024.

She was charged in 2019 on 78 counts, including stealing, money laundering, causing financial loss to the state and procurement breaches following investigations by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO).

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