First Extradition Since 2009: US returns former MASLOC CEO Sedina Tamakloe Attionu to Ghana to begin 10-year jail term

• Former MASLOC CEO returned from the United States to Ghana to begin serving a 10-year jail sentence.

• She was convicted on over 70 charges, including embezzlement of more than $6 million in public funds.

• The U.S. Embassy says it is the first extradition from the United States to Ghana since 2009, highlighting stronger cross-border law enforcement cooperation.

Former Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) Chief Executive Officer, Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, has been extradited from the United States to Ghana to begin serving a 10-year prison sentence following her conviction in one of the country's most high-profile corruption cases.

The announcement was made by the U.S. Embassy in Accra on June 9, stating that Attionu was returned to Ghana after being convicted on more than 70 corruption-related charges, including the embezzlement of over $6 million in Ghanaian taxpayer funds.

According to the U.S. Embassy, the extradition demonstrates the strong law enforcement partnership between Ghana and the United States and marks the first extradition from the U.S. to Ghana since 2009, ending a 16-year gap in such transfers between the two countries.

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Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, who served as CEO of MASLOC under the National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration, was found guilty by the Accra High Court in 2024 on multiple counts, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, and procurement breaches. The court subsequently sentenced her to 10 years' imprisonment with hard labour.

The convictions include:

• 25 counts of stealing

• 9 counts of conspiracy to steal

• 20 counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state

• 11 counts of conspiracy to cause financial loss to the state

• 3 counts of causing loss to public property

• 4 counts of money laundering
  
  The offences were committed between 2013 and 2016, according to court records.

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Her return to Ghana is expected to reignite public debate on accountability, corruption, and the recovery of public funds.

Anti-corruption advocates have welcomed the development, describing it as a significant step toward strengthening the rule of law and ensuring that public officials are held responsible for the management of state resources.

The extradition also highlights growing international cooperation in the fight against financial crimes and corruption.

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Analysts say the case sends a strong message that individuals convicted of corruption-related offences may face justice regardless of where they relocate.

The Sedina Tamakloe Attionu extradition is likely to remain a major topic in Ghana's political and legal landscape as authorities continue efforts to combat corruption and promote transparency in public service.