A member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Communications Team, Hamza Suhuyini, has cast doubt on the chances of President John Dramani Mahama issuing a presidential pardon to former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe Attionu.
Speaking on The Big Issue on Saturday, June 13, Hon Suhuyini said although the Constitution gives the President the power to exercise the prerogative of mercy, he does not think President Dramani Mahama would step in due to his even-handed approach to leadership.
He noted that the President would likely let the judicial process run its full course, stressing that accountability must be upheld irrespective of political ties.
He argued that Ghana’s democracy can only grow stronger when public officers answer for their conduct, adding that the country needs a unified stance on issues tied to the rule of law and public accountability.
“As for a presidential pardon, I don’t see it happening, and many sound-minded Ghanaians would not want it to happen. It is within the legal remit of the land. But knowing President Mahama, he will allow the legal process to take its full and due course,” he said.
His remarks follow the arrival of Sedina Tamakloe Attionu in Ghana after her extradition from the United States (US) to serve a 10-year prison term handed down by the Accra High Court.
Her return comes after a lengthy extradition effort by the Government of Ghana (GoG) when she did not come back to the country following a medical trip to the United States.
In 2024, the Accra High Court sentenced Attionu in absentia on counts including causing financial loss to the state and theft.The court held that her actions while serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) between 2013 and 2016 led to a loss of nearly GH¢90 million to the state.
