Sedina Tamakloe returns to Ghana following extradition from US

Former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, has returned to Ghana following her extradition from the United States to serve a 10-year prison sentence imposed by the Accra High Court.

Her arrival in Ghana was confirmed by Minister of State in charge of Government Communications, Felix Kwakye Ofosu, who disclosed in a Facebook post on Tuesday that the former MASLOC boss had been handed over to Ghanaian authorities after a lengthy extradition process.

According to him, “In April, 2024, the High Court convicted and sentenced SEDINA TAMAKLOE-ATTIONU in absentia. In July 2024, the Government of Ghana submitted an extradition request to the United States for her surrender to Ghana to serve her sentence.”

Mr. Ofosu Kwakye further revealed that the extradition process took more than two years to complete.

“After over two years of court proceedings, the United States authorities notified the Government of her surrender in January this year. She arrived in Accra on Tuesday, June 9, 2026,” he wrote.

Attionu arrived in Accra on Tuesday and was immediately taken into custody by security officials upon arrival.

Providing details of the next steps, the government spokesperson stated that, “Officials of the Ghana Police Service and the Ghana Prisons Service have taken her into custody and are making the necessary preparations for her to begin her sentence.”

Sources familiar with the process indicate that standard administrative procedures, including security and medical assessments, are expected to be completed before her transfer to begin serving the custodial sentence.

Attionu was convicted in absentia by the Accra High Court in 2024 after being found guilty of offences including causing financial loss to the state and stealing.

The court ruled that actions undertaken during her tenure as MASLOC Chief Executive between 2013 and 2016 resulted in a financial loss of nearly GH¢90 million to the state.

The conviction followed a prolonged legal battle centred on allegations of misappropriation and the diversion of public resources during her administration of the government-funded microfinance institution.

She had earlier been granted permission by the High Court in 2021 to travel to the United States for medical treatment while her trial was ongoing. However, she failed to return to Ghana to continue participating in the proceedings, leading the court to proceed with the trial in her absence.

Following her conviction, Ghanaian authorities initiated efforts to secure her return through legal and diplomatic channels.

Her extradition is being viewed as a significant development in Ghana’s fight against corruption and efforts to enforce criminal judgments involving public officials.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ofosu Kwakye disclosed that further discussions on extradition cooperation between Ghana and the United States are expected to take place soon.

“Meanwhile, the Attorney-General is scheduled to meet his counterparts at the United States Department of Justice for a bilateral discussion on all pending extradition requests between the two countries,” he stated.

The return of Attionu is widely regarded as a major milestone in one of Ghana’s most closely watched corruption-related prosecutions and highlights growing cooperation between Ghanaian and United States authorities in matters relating to criminal justice and extradition.