A United States District Court in Nevada has certified the extradition of former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, to Ghana.
The ruling, delivered by US Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts, found that there is sufficient legal basis for her extradition, stating that “probable cause exists to believe that Sedina Tamakloe committed the offences for which extradition is sought.”
The court ordered that Attionu be committed to the custody of the United States Marshals pending a final decision on her extradition and surrender by the US Secretary of State.
The certification covers multiple charges, including 25 counts of stealing, nine counts of conspiracy to steal, 20 counts of wilfully causing financial loss to the state, 11 counts of conspiracy to cause financial loss, three counts of causing loss to public property, and four counts of money laundering.
Attionu was convicted in absentia by an Accra High Court in 2024 and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour for causing financial loss of nearly GH¢90 million to the state during her tenure as MASLOC CEO between 2013 and 2016.
She had been granted permission by the High Court in 2021 to travel to the United States for medical treatment but failed to return to Ghana, leading to the trial proceeding in her absence.
The Government of Ghana formally initiated extradition proceedings in 2025, resulting in the latest certification by the US court.
The final decision on her surrender now rests with the US Secretary of State. If approved, Attionu will be returned to Ghana to serve her sentence.
