A United States District Court in Nevada has approved the extradition of former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, to Ghana to serve her 10-year prison sentence.

The court ruled that it has jurisdiction over both the extradition proceedings and the accused person and affirmed that the extradition treaty between the United States and Ghana remains valid and enforceable.

It further held that the individual presented before the court is indeed the same person sought by Ghanaian authorities and confirmed that all documents submitted in support of Ghana’s request were properly certified.

The court also determined that there is sufficient probable cause to believe that Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu committed the offences for which Ghana is seeking her extradition.

In its ruling, the court certified her extradition and ordered that she be placed in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending a final decision by the U.S. Secretary of State on her surrender to Ghana.

Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was previously convicted in Ghana in April 2024 and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour on multiple charges, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy, money laundering, and procurement breaches.

Court records indicate that she absconded during the trial after being granted permission to travel abroad for medical treatment.

Her extradition marks a significant development in efforts by Ghanaian authorities to enforce the judgment and secure her return to serve her sentence.

The case continues to attract public attention as part of broader efforts to recover state funds allegedly lost through financial misconduct at MASLOC.

Background

In April 2024, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty on 78 counts, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.

Her co-accused, former MASLOC Chief Operating Officer Daniel Axim, was also sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour.

The two were prosecuted for offences said to have been committed between 2013 and 2016, involving the alleged misappropriation of funds allocated to MASLOC programmes. The trial, which commenced in 2019, featured six prosecution witnesses.

Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was tried in absentia after she failed to return from medical travel abroad. Daniel Axim, who appeared in court throughout the proceedings, testified in his defence but did not call any witnesses.

Among the offences established by the court was the withdrawal of GH¢500,000 as a loan to Obaatampa Savings and Loans Company, which was later refunded after the institution declined to accept a 24 percent interest arrangement, though the repayment was not reflected in MASLOC’s accounts.

The court also found that more than GH¢1.7 million earmarked for a sensitisation exercise was misappropriated, with only a fraction used for its intended purpose. Additionally, only GH¢579,800 out of GH¢1.4 million allocated for victims of the Kantamanso inferno was disbursed, with the remainder unlawfully retained.

The case further involved inflated procurement costs for vehicles and mobile phones, with evidence indicating payments significantly exceeded prevailing market prices despite bulk purchases.