The former Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Abraham Amaliba, 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 legal decisions must be based on the law rather than public emotion or political sentiment.

The Court of Appeal on Thursday, July 30, overturned Madam Tamakloe-Attionu's earlier conviction and 10-year prison sentence, prompting criticism from the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and some members of the public, who argued that the ruling undermines Ghana's fight against corruption.

Speaking on JoyFM's Top Story, Mr Amaliba rejected those claims, stressing that the legal process had run its course.

"The law is not about emotions. It's not about what you think. It's not about how you feel. The law is what it is."

• Read also: Court of Appeal acquits, discharges ex-MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu

He noted that Madam Tamakloe-Attionu had every legal right to challenge her conviction.

"Does Attionu have the right to appeal against the conviction? The answer is yes."

Mr Amaliba said the focus should instead be on the legal basis for the Court of Appeal's decision, particularly its findings on the charges brought against the former MASLOC CEO.

"When she went to court, was her discharge and acquittal based on merit? You heard your reporter who dissected the case and told us that 34 of those charges were said to be defective. The others were not connected to her or something like that. They couldn't prove them."

He urged critics of the judgment to challenge the court's legal reasoning rather than resort to political commentary.

"Now, I expect people who are against the ruling of the Court of Appeal to focus on these items. One, the 34. Can they show that they were not badly drafted? Can they show?"

He also challenged those questioning the acquittal to demonstrate that the remaining charges, which the court found were not linked to Madam Tamakloe-Attionu, had in fact been properly established.

"Can they also show that the other charges that were said not to be connected to her are connected to her? That is how we would then be able to get to the bottom of this matter."

Mr Amaliba cautioned against politicising the ruling, arguing that doing so would distract from the legal issues at the heart of the case.

"But if it is for political propaganda, I'm afraid we won't get to the bottom of this matter. We'll just be going in circles."