Barker-Vormawor questions evidence used in Sedina Tamakloe's case

Private legal practitioner and political activist Oliver Barker-Vormawor has raised concerns about the quality of investigations and prosecutions in Ghana following the acquittal of former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe.

Speaking during a discussion on Joy News on August 1, 2026, Barker-Vormawor said the case exposed what he described as serious weaknesses in the way white-collar crimes are investigated and prosecuted in Ghana.

He questioned whether investigators gathered sufficient evidence to establish the alleged financial transaction and conclusively link it to the former MASLOC boss.

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“I’m very concerned about how we go from investigation to formulating a charge and prosecuting,” he said.

Drawing on his familiarity with the United Kingdom’s justice system, he argued that investigative authorities should first present their findings to prosecutors, who must independently assess whether the evidence meets the threshold for prosecution before charges are filed.

“In the UK, which I’m familiar with, when the investigative authorities have prepared this, there is a responsibility on the prosecutorial authorities to sit down and see through all of them and then make a decision whether or not they have reached a charging position before they go ahead and formulate a charge,” he explained.

Barker-Vormawor also questioned the alleged investment at the centre of the case, including how the transaction was made, the agreed terms, and whether there was a formal contract.

“There is an allegation that an investment was made. The person said we were asked to return money because of the disagreement about the interest rate. How was the investment made and on what basis was it paid out? Was the contract signed? Were the terms of the interest clearly defined?” he asked.

According to him, the evidence presented did not sufficiently explain the circumstances surrounding the alleged transaction.

“We’re not wiser to that arrangement,” he said.

He further questioned the handling of a letter allegedly relied on as evidence, arguing that the person said to have received the letter was never called to testify.

“The person who was supposedly handed over that letter was not called to testify, and none of those processes were followed through,” he said.

Barker-Vormawor also criticised the investigation into the alleged cash payment, arguing that investigators should have established whether there was corresponding evidence from the relevant bank account.

“When the money was withdrawn and paid in cash, we don’t have any information as to whether or not the corresponding bank account shows a withdrawal of the same amount. None of that happened,” he stated.

He further questioned the absence of evidence showing consistent communication between Sedina Tamakloe and the individual involved in the alleged transaction.

“The person said that Sedina continued to call us to receive the money. There’s nothing in evidence that shows consistent communication between Sedina and the individual concerned,” he noted.

While raising concerns about the prosecution’s case, Barker-Vormawor stressed that he was not claiming the alleged money was never paid to Sedina Tamakloe.

“I am not saying that the money was not paid to Sedina. I’m not in the position to say so,” he clarified.

Rather, he argued that investigators should have gone further to independently verify the allegations.

“I’m saying that when I look at how the investigative record was built to establish guilt, it appears to rely solely on the fact that this person says this is the letter we have and it shows that the money was paid. I don’t think that’s sufficient,” he said.

He warned that Ghana's challenges in investigating and prosecuting white-collar crimes require urgent institutional reforms.

“I’ve said consistently about how we investigate and prosecute white-collar crime in this country so many times that there’s a serious capacity defect in the way we should approach this issue,” he said.

Barker-Vormawor urged stakeholders to treat the matter as a national concern rather than a partisan issue.

“This is something we have to take seriously across the board. We can do all the political wrangling, but there’s a serious problem at the heart of this that we have to deal with,” he added.

FG/MA