Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has expressed profound disappointment over the Court of Appeal’s decision to acquit and discharge former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, stating the ruling raises troubling questions about accountability despite years of investigative work.
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, August 1, Mr. Awuni admitted that the appellate court’s decision had left him questioning whether the sacrifices associated with investigative journalism were worthwhile. He stated, “I feel the same way I felt when I first heard of the appeal and the outcome,” adding that “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 that everybody knows that wrong has been done.”
His comments come two days after the Court of Appeal overturned the former MASLOC chief executive’s conviction and 10-year prison sentence. In its judgment delivered on Thursday, the three-member panel held that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt, setting aside the convictions entered by the High Court. The ruling follows an appeal by Ms. Tamakloe-Attionu, who challenged both her conviction and the legality of being tried and sentenced in absentia. Her lawyers argued that the charges were fundamentally defective and that the prosecution had failed to prove the offences against her.
Ms. Tamakloe-Attionu was extradited from the United States to Ghana on 9 June 2026 and began serving her 10-year sentence at the Nsawam Medium Security Female Prison on 24 June before the Court of Appeal quashed her conviction. Reflecting on the judgment, Mr. Awuni lamented what he described as a lack of consequences for wrongdoing, despite extensive investigative efforts supported by documentary evidence. He stated, “But as things stand, nobody is going to account for the wrongdoing,” adding that “And it hurts when you spend your time, you risk your life and do all of these things. And this is just one of the many instances that I have done work with evidence, and it ended up nowhere.”
Mr. Awuni suggested that outcomes such as the MASLOC case could discourage those committed to exposing wrongdoing in the public interest. He further commented, “But as things stand, nobody is going to account for the wrongdoing,” emphasizing that “And it hurts when you spend your time, you risk your life and do all of these things. And this is just one of the many instances that I have done work with evidence, and it ended up nowhere.”
The award-winning journalist, whose investigations have uncovered several high-profile corruption and governance issues over the years, suggested that outcomes such as the MASLOC case could discourage those committed to exposing wrongdoing in the public interest. The ruling has drawn significant attention to the challenges faced by investigative journalists and the potential impact on public accountability.”
Watch Related Video
Source: MyJoyOnline
