Gov't pursues extradition of convicted MASLOC boss from USA

Sep 17, 2024 - 11:23

Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu is former CEO of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC). She was sentenced to 10 years in prison by an Accra High Court in April on 78 counts of stealing, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state. She is currently residing in the USA.

Accra, Ghana - The Ghanaian government has launched efforts to extradite Sedinam Tamakloe Attionu, former CEO of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), from the United States.

Attionu, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison by an Accra High Court in April, is currently residing in the US. Deputy Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, confirmed the government's collaboration with US authorities to facilitate her return.

“She was convicted by the court in Ghana sometime ago and after the conviction, I made it known to the media that we were going to take steps to have her extradited to Ghana and we started taking those steps and in collaboration with our intentional partners, we know where she is and very soon, definitely, she may be extradited to Ghana.

“The issue of going through the process is necessary and we are filing all the documentation and if everything goes through, she will definitely come back to Ghana to begin her sentence. She is in the United States of America,” the deputy AG confirmed on the Eyewitness News on Citi FM.

“When it comes to extradition processes, for example, you have to go through the court processes to get a court order and what we are supposed to do is furnish the US authorities with whatever we have and wait on them so that the moment they finish with the processes, she will be brought down to Ghana," she added.

The former MASLOC chief was convicted of stealing, procurement breaches, and causing a GH¢90 million financial loss to the state. Her co-defendant, Daniel Axim, former MASLOC Operations Manager, received a separate sentence.

Details of the Case:

- 78 counts of stealing, money laundering, and causing financial loss to the state
- Trial began January 2019
- Attionu sentenced to 10 years, Axim to 5 years with hard labor

The government's pursuit of Attionu's extradition demonstrates its commitment to holding public officials accountable for corruption and ensuring justice is served.

The extradition process is ongoing, with Ghanaian authorities working closely with their US counterparts to bring Attionu back to the country to serve her sentence.

Source: Lead News Online