Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu arrested in the U.S. after Ghana’s extradition request

Former Chief Executive of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, has been arrested and placed in custody in the United States following the execution of an extradition request issued by Ghana.

A statement from Victor Emmanuel Smith confirms that Tamakloe-Attionu is currently being held at the Nevada Southern Detention Centre, located at 2190 East Mesquite Avenue, Pahrump, Nevada.

According to the release, she was arrested by U.S. Marshals on January 6, 2026, and has remained in detention since. Her arrest was triggered by a formal extradition request submitted to U.S. authorities in July 2024.

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She will remain in custody while U.S. courts begin proceedings to determine whether she will be returned to Ghana to serve her sentence. The development marks a major milestone in a high-profile legal case involving cross-border law enforcement cooperation.

At present, no details have been provided regarding court dates or the scope of the legal issues the extradition hearing will cover. However, the detention confirms that U.S. authorities have formally acted on Ghana’s request, moving the matter into the judicial process.

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Background

Tamakloe-Attionu was handed a 10-year prison sentence on April 16, 2024, after being convicted of embezzling GH¢3.19 million and causing a financial loss of GH¢90 million to the state during her time at MASLOC.

Former MASLOC Chief Operating Officer Daniel Axim was also sentenced—receiving five years with hard labour.
The pair were convicted on 78 charges, including causing financial loss to the state, conspiracy, theft, money laundering and violating public procurement rules.

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The case, which began in 2019 and involved testimony from six prosecution witnesses, proceeded without Tamakloe-Attionu after she left the country under the pretext of seeking medical care and failed to return. Axim testified in person but did not call any witnesses in his defence.

Court findings revealed that the two unlawfully diverted state funds between 2013 and 2016. These included:

• withdrawing GH¢500,000 from Obaatampa Savings & Loans under questionable terms,

• misappropriating more than GH¢1.7 million earmarked for public sensitisation programmes,

• failing to fully distribute funds meant for fire victims at Kantamanso, and

• authorising vehicle and Samsung phone purchases well above prevailing market prices.

In a related development, the Supreme Court on January 14 granted Axim bail of GH¢500,000 pending the determination of his appeal. His legal team filed for bail after he served nearly two years of his five-year sentence while the appeal process stalled.