The Secretary-General of the Ghana Federation of Labour (GFL), Abraham Koomson, has defended 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, insisting that the ruling was based on legal principles and evidence presented before the court.
Speaking during a panel discussion on Ahotor FM, Mr. Koomson said he carefully studied the 94-page judgment before commenting on the matter.
He explained that his review of the ruling convinced him that the appellate court acted within the law when it overturned the former MASLOC CEO’s conviction, adding that there was no legal basis to suggest the decision was politically influenced.
According to him, the Court of Appeal found that the prosecution failed to prove its case beyond reasonable doubt and that the trial process had wrongly shifted the burden of proof onto the accused.
Mr. Koomson stressed that Ghana’s criminal justice system requires the prosecution to establish every element of an offence before a conviction can be secured, as every accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
He, however, clarified that his defence of the court’s decision should not be interpreted as support for corruption or wrongdoing by public officials.
“I will never support corruption, but justice must never be sacrificed in the name of fighting corruption,” he said, emphasising that the fight against corruption must always be conducted within the framework of due process and the rule of law.
The GFL Secretary-General maintained that the Attorney-General has a constitutional duty to prove criminal allegations beyond reasonable doubt and that courts are required to acquit accused persons when that burden is not met.
He cautioned against allowing public pressure, emotions, or political interests to influence judicial decisions, arguing that judgments must always be guided by facts and legal principles.
Mr. Koomson also expressed concern over what he described as the increasing politicisation of criminal cases in Ghana, accusing political actors of attempting to use legal matters to advance partisan interests.
He further argued that Ghana’s judiciary remains capable of interpreting and applying the country’s laws independently and should not be undermined by comparisons with foreign legal systems.
The labour leader urged Ghanaians to respect the independence of the judiciary and allow legal processes to continue following the Attorney-General’s decision to appeal the Court of Appeal’s ruling at the Supreme Court.
He said the case reinforces the importance of fairness, evidence-based judgments, and the protection of due process in Ghana’s justice system.
