Former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe Attionu Extradited from U.S. to Ghana to Begin 10-Year Prison Sentence

9th June•3 min read•27 sources

Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, the former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), has been extradited from the United States to Ghana to serve a 10-year prison sentence. She arrived at the Kotoka International Airport on June 9, 2026, under heavy security, marking the first extradition from the U.S. to Ghana since 2009. Attionu was convicted in absentia by the Accra High Court in April 2024 for causing a financial loss of nearly GH"90 million (approximately $6 million) to the state. Her return follows a lengthy legal process initiated after she failed to return from a 2019 medical trip to the U.S., leading to a formal extradition request that was eventually certified by U.S. District Courts in Nevada and Texas.

Upon her arrival in Accra, the former CEO appeared in poor health, arriving in a wheelchair with visible physical ailments. She is currently undergoing medical examinations and debriefing by officials from the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Prisons Service before being formally transferred to serve her term. The conviction stems from over 70 charges including stealing, money laundering, and conspiracy related to her tenure at MASLOC between 2013 and 2016. Her co-accused, Daniel Axim, had previously been sentenced to five years in prison. Legal experts, including Samson Lardy Anyenini, have noted that her sentence is likely to be calculated from the date she was taken into custody in Ghana, rather than the date of the original 2024 judgment.

The extradition has triggered significant political and legal debate within Ghana. While anti-corruption campaigners like Edem Senanu have hailed the event as a landmark moment for accountability, others have expressed skepticism. Titus Glover, the former Greater Accra Regional Minister, voiced doubts that Attionu would serve her full 10-year term, suggesting that her political ties to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) might lead to a future presidential pardon. Meanwhile, Attionu’s defense team is actively pursuing an appeal, contending that the original charges were "defective" and that the prosecution failed to provide sufficient evidence during the trial.

Beyond this specific case, Attionu’s return signals a period of intensified international legal cooperation. The Ghanaian Attorney-General’s office is reportedly scheduled to meet with the U.S. Department of Justice to discuss several other outstanding extradition requests, including high-profile cases involving former government officials. This development reinforces the state’s position that fleeing the jurisdiction will not shield individuals from the rule of law, setting a precedent for future cross-border criminal justice matters between Ghana and its international partners.

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Former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe Attionu Extradited from U.S. to Ghana to Begin 10-Year Prison Sentence

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