Former MASLOC boss Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu has been arrested and is currently being held in custody in the United States, following the execution of an extradition request submitted by Ghanaian authorities.

According to a press release issued by Victor Emmanuel Smith, she is being detained at the Nevada Southern Detention Centre, located at 2190 East Mesquite Avenue in Pahrump, Nevada.

The statement confirms that Mrs Tamakloe-Attionu was arrested by U.S. Marshals on January 6 and has remained in detention since then. Her arrest, the release notes, was carried out in response to an extradition request sent to U.S. authorities in July 2024.

She is being held pending court proceedings in the United States, where the extradition process is expected to proceed.

The confirmation of her detention marks a significant development in a case that has drawn public attention, particularly because it involves international law enforcement cooperation between Ghana and the United States.

No further details were provided regarding the timeline for court proceedings or the specific charges underlying the extradition request; however, the detention signals that U.S. authorities have formally acted on Ghana’s request and that the matter has now entered the judicial phase.

Background

Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was sentenced to 10 years in prison on April 16, 2024, for embezzling GH¢3.19 million during her tenure at MASCLOC and causing a deliberate financial loss of GH$90 million to the state.

Additionally, the former Chief Operating Officer of MASLOC, Daniel Axim, was sentenced to a five-year jail term with hard labour.

The two were found guilty on 78 counts relating to causing financial loss to the state, theft, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and contravening public procurement laws.

The trial, which began in 2019, saw six witnesses called by the state. Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was tried in absentia as she absconded after obtaining court permission for a medical check-up abroad. Daniel Axim testified in person but did not present any witnesses.

The convictions stem from misappropriation of funds allocated for MASLOC activities between 2013 and 2016. In one instance, the convicts withdrew GH₵500,000 as a loan from Obaatampa Savings and Loans company, demanding a refund when the institution refused to provide a 24% interest rate. Although evidence of the refund was presented, it was not reflected in MASLOC's accounts.

The duo was also found guilty of misappropriating over GH¢1.7 million allocated for a sensitisation exercise, with only a fraction of the funds used for the intended purpose. Similarly, funds disbursed for victims of a fire incident at Kantamanso were not fully distributed, with a significant portion misappropriated by the accused.

The case also involved the purchase of vehicles and Samsung phones for MASLOC, with funds exceeding market prices at the time.

Despite being bought in bulk, evidence suggested that the amounts paid were higher than prevailing market rates.

Meanwhile, on January 14, this year, the Supreme Court granted him bail in the sum of GHc500,000 pending his appeal.

His appeal, initiated over a year ago, had stalled, leading to his lawyers filing a bail application, having already served nearly two calendar years of his five-year incarceration.