Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Ayine, has defended the Government’s decision to challenge the Court of Appeal’s acquittal of former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, insisting that the move is driven by the national interest and the pursuit of accountability rather than personal or political considerations.Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Thursday, July 30, Dr Ayine said his decision to pursue an appeal before the Supreme Court was based on professional judgement, despite his longstanding personal relationship with the former MASLOC Chief Executive.His comments came hours after the Attorney-General’s Office announced that it had directed the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to immediately file an appeal against the Court of Appeal’s unanimous decision acquitting and discharging Ms Tamakloe Attionu. READ ALSO: Court of Appeal acquits, discharges ex-MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe-AttionuIn a statement issued on Thursday, the Attorney-General’s Office confirmed that it had taken notice of the Court of Appeal’s judgment, which overturned Ms Tamakloe Attionu’s conviction on 78 counts, including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the State, money laundering and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.The statement announced that the Director of Public Prosecutions had been instructed to immediately file a notice of appeal before the Supreme Court, together with an application for a stay of execution of the judgment pending the final determination of the appeal.The Attorney-General’s Office stressed that the Republic remained convinced that the appeal should proceed and maintained confidence in the strength of its legal position.The statement noted that the Republic had opposed the appeal before the Court of Appeal by filing written submissions, arguing that the appeal lacked merit and ought to be dismissed. It further expressed confidence that the Supreme Court would ultimately uphold the State’s position.Earlier on Thursday, the Court of Appeal unanimously acquitted and discharged Ms Tamakloe Attionu, overturning her conviction by the High Court on April 16, 2024, where she had been sentenced in absentia to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour. READ ALSO: ‘Victory for the rule of law’ — Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu’s lawyer reacts to acquittalThe appellate panel, comprising Justice Emmanuel Ankamah, Justice Emmanuel Senyo Amedahe and Justice Samuel Obeng-Diawuo, ruled that the prosecution had failed to establish its case beyond reasonable doubt.Addressing the controversy surrounding the case during the Government Accountability Series, Dr Ayine was careful not to comment on the merits of the Court of Appeal’s ruling, explaining that although the judgment had been forwarded to him, he had not yet had the opportunity to study it.“I have said it from the outset that this press conference is not about Sedinam Tamakloe, and also, as a lawyer of many years standing, I will not comment on a matter until I have read the judgement. I have not read the judgement of the Court of Appeal, it has been sent to me, I have not read it.”He explained that his decision to proceed with an appeal had been taken before he received the written judgment and was based on the legal principles underpinning the prosecution rather than the contents of the appellate court’s decision.Dr Ayine said the case had been inherited from the previous administration but stressed that successive governments have a responsibility to continue legal proceedings where the evidence and the public interest justify doing so.According to him, continuity in governance required office holders to objectively assess cases inherited from their predecessors instead of abandoning them simply because of a change in political administration.“But I took the professional decision and I stand by it in principle that the appeal should be opposed, I inherited the docket, I inherited the extradiction request, but government is a continue. I revieviewed the documents, and I worked on them.”He indicated that after reviewing the case file and the available evidence, he concluded that the matter deserved to be pursued before the country’s highest court. READ ALSO: Attorney General to challenge Sedina Tamakloe acquittal at Supreme Court; files for stay of executionResponding to suggestions that his decision was motivated by personal considerations, the Attorney-General firmly rejected the assertion, revealing that although Ms Tamakloe Attionu is a personal friend, that relationship had no bearing on his official responsibilities.He stressed that his overriding duty as Attorney-General was to uphold accountability in the management of public resources.“So this is a principle stance, and it is a stance about accountability for this country. It is not about individuals, if it were about individuals, Sedinam is my friend, she is my personal friend. It is not about personalities, it is about this country and I will take the appeal on to the Supreme Court.”Dr Ayine said the case should not be viewed through the lens of personalities but rather as part of the broader national effort to ensure that allegations involving public office holders are subjected to the full rigour of the judicial process.The Attorney-General also dismissed claims that the decision to appeal was intended to shield either himself or the Government from criticism following the Court of Appeal’s ruling.Instead, he maintained that the decision reflected careful legal assessment and the professional advice of experienced prosecutors and legal officers within his ministry.“If you look at me, I am not the type of person who fears losing face, I am not doing this because I want to save face for either myself or the president of the republic. I am doing it based upon professional consideration and also on the advice of excellent men and women who work with me at the attorney general’s department.”He praised the legal professionals within the Attorney-General’s Department for their expertise and said their advice had reinforced his conviction that the matter should be determined by the Supreme Court.Dr Ayine reiterated that the Government remains committed to ensuring accountability in the use of public resources and would continue to pursue legal processes wherever it believes there are legitimate grounds to do so.He maintained that appealing the Court of Appeal’s decision was consistent with the constitutional role of the Attorney-General to represent the Republic and safeguard the public interest through due process.