Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, the former CEO of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), was ordered extradition to Ghana by a U.S. District Court in Nevada to serve her 10-year jail term.
The extradition treaty between the United States and Ghana remains valid and enforceable, and the court has jurisdiction over both the extradition case and the defendant, according to the ruling.
It also confirmed that the person brought before the court is the same one that Ghanaian officials are looking for and that every piece of evidence given by Ghana in support of the application was correctly authenticated.
Additionally, the court determined that there is enough reason to think that Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu committed the crimes for which Ghana is asking for her extradition.
The court determined in its conclusion that she should be extradited to Ghana and that she should be placed under the care of the U.S. Marshals Service until the U.S. Secretary of State makes a final determination about her surrender.
Prior to this, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was found guilty in Ghana in April 2024 on several counts, including theft, conspiracy, money laundering, procurement violations, and causing financial loss to the government. She was given a ten-year sentence with hard labor.
According to court documents, she fled Ghana before the end of her trial while she was permitted to go overseas for medical care.
Her extradition represents a significant step in the Ghanaian government’s attempts to carry out the verdict and bring her back to the country to carry out her punishment.
As part of a larger effort to recoup state resources lost via alleged financial misconduct at MASLOC, the matter is still gaining public notice.
After being found guilty on 78 counts in April 2024, including theft, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, breaches of the Public Procurement Act, and inflicting financial loss to the government, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labor.
In addition, Daniel Axim, the former Chief Operating Officer of MASLOC, was given a five-year prison sentence with hard labor as one of the defendants.
The two were brought to trial for crimes they committed between 2013 and 2016, which included stealing money intended for MASLOC operations. Six witnesses were brought by the state throughout the trial, which started in 2019.
After fleeing while on the court’s permission to go abroad for medical care, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was tried in absentia. In contrast, Daniel Axim gave a personal testimony but didn’t call any witnesses.
One of the offenses the court determined was the withdrawal of GH¢500,000 as a loan to Obaatampa Savings and Loans Company, which the convicts later demanded to be returned when the business refused to accept a 24% interest rate. Despite the evidence showing that the sum was refunded, it was not reflected in MASLOC’s accounts.
Additionally, the court discovered that more than GH¢1.7 million set aside for a public awareness campaign had been misused. Although it was anticipated that MASLOC would give GH¢20 to each of its 85,300 beneficiaries, the funds were only used for its intended purpose to the tune of GH¢1,300.
Furthermore, the remaining funds were illegally diverted, and only GH¢579,800 of the GH¢1.4 million allocated to help those affected by the Kantamanso fire was distributed.
The case also included excessive acquisition expenses for Samsung mobile phones and cars, with evidence showing that the prices paid were higher than the market average, even though the purchases were made in bulk.
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