Former Greater Accra Regional Minister Titus Glover has expressed doubt over whether former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer Sedina Tamakloe Attionu will serve her full 10-year prison sentence, citing her alleged political affiliation with the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Tuesday, June 9, Glover suggested that the former MASLOC boss could benefit from a presidential pardon or other interventions that may reduce her jail term.
“The case is that I am sure they will give her some presidential pardon. She has to serve for some time, but knowing the NDC and their style and the way they do their stuff, I will not be surprised if in the next six months or so they call it off,” he said.
Glover further argued that allowing convicted public officials to avoid serving the full sentence imposed by the courts could undermine public confidence in the fight against corruption and accountability.
“I do not think she will serve the full term,” he added.
However, private legal practitioner Martin Kpebu has called on authorities to allow due process to run its course and avoid any interference with the prison system, warning that premature release could damage public confidence in the justice system.
“If Sedina comes out in less than two years, the backlash against the NDC will not be worth it. They have to advise her to stay there. It is for the betterment of society. She has the right to appeal and come out, but generally, anything less than three years will look very bad on us as a society,” he stated.
His comments come hours after Sedina Attionu returned to Ghana following her extradition from the United States to serve a 10-year prison sentence handed down by the Accra High Court.
She arrived at the Accra International Airport on Tuesday, June 9, aboard United Airlines flight UA 996 from Washington Dulles International Airport.
Sources familiar with the process said she was received by security personnel upon arrival and taken into custody. She is currently undergoing debriefing and medical examinations before being transferred to begin serving her sentence.
Sedina Attionu’s return follows a lengthy extradition process initiated by the Government of Ghana after she failed to return to the country following a medical trip to the United States while standing trial.
In 2024, the Accra High Court convicted her in absentia and sentenced her to 10 years’ imprisonment after finding her guilty of multiple offences, including causing financial loss to the state and stealing.
The court held that her actions during her tenure as MASLOC Chief Executive between 2013 and 2016 resulted in a financial loss of nearly GH¢90 million to the state.
The conviction followed a prolonged legal battle over allegations of misappropriation and diversion of state resources during her stewardship of the government-funded microfinance institution.
Sedina Attionu had been granted permission by the High Court in 2021 to travel to the United States for medical treatment while the trial was ongoing. However, she failed to return to continue participating in the proceedings, prompting the court to proceed with the trial in her absence.
