US Extradites Ghanaian Official Over $6m Corruption Case

By Paul Joseph

The United States has extradited former Chief Executive of Ghana’s Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, to Ghana to begin serving a 10-year prison sentence in a landmark corruption case.

Her transfer marks the first extradition between the United States and Ghana in 16 years, underscoring renewed judicial cooperation between both countries on financial crime and accountability.

Attionu, who led MASLOC from 2013 to 2016, left Ghana in 2019 after obtaining court permission to travel abroad for medical treatment but failed to return for the continuation of her trial.

She was later convicted in April 2024 on multiple charges including stealing, conspiracy, money laundering, wilfully causing financial loss to the state, and procurement-related offences.

The charges covered 72 counts in total, comprising 25 counts of stealing, nine counts of conspiracy to steal, 20 counts of causing financial loss to the state, 11 counts of conspiracy linked to the same offence, three counts of causing loss to public property, and four counts of money laundering.

She was subsequently sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.

Attionu was arrested by United States Marshals on January 6, 2026, and detained at the Nevada Southern Detention Centre in Pahrump, Nevada, while extradition proceedings were concluded.

A United States District Court in Nevada later approved her extradition after reviewing evidence submitted by Ghanaian prosecutors alongside a legal declaration from the U.S. State Department.

The United States Mission in Ghana described the development as evidence of “a strong U.S.–Ghana law enforcement partnership” and a shared commitment to accountability in financial crimes.

Ghana’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed her arrival, saying the transfer reflects joint efforts to ensure that offenders cannot evade justice by crossing borders.

Officials noted that the case also signals strengthened international cooperation in tackling corruption and financial misconduct involving public office holders.