US court uphold extradition of former MASLOC boss to Ghana
The ruling means the United States court has accepted Ghana’s request at the judicial stage and found that the legal conditions for extradition have been met.
A federal court in Nevada has approved the extradition of former MASLOC chief executive Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, clearing the way for her possible return to Ghana to serve a 10-year prison sentence.
The ruling means the United States court has accepted Ghana’s request at the judicial stage and found that the legal conditions for extradition have been met. The next step now lies with the US Secretary of State, who will make the final decision on whether she should be surrendered.
In its findings, the court said it had authority to hear the matter and that the extradition treaty between Ghana and the United States remains in force. It also accepted that the woman brought before it was the same person Ghanaian authorities were seeking and that the supporting documents submitted by Ghana had been properly certified.
The court further concluded that there was enough probable cause to believe she committed the offences underlying the extradition request.
Following that decision, the court certified her for extradition and ordered that she remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service while the matter moves to the executive stage.
Tamakloe-Attionu was convicted in Ghana in April 2024 and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour. The convictions covered a range of offences, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy, money laundering and procurement-related breaches.
Ghanaian court records indicate that she left the country for medical treatment during the proceedings and did not return, leading to her being tried in absentia.
Her case has remained one of the most closely watched prosecutions connected to alleged financial misconduct at the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre.
The wider MASLOC case also led to the conviction of former Chief Operating Officer Daniel Axim, who received a five-year sentence with hard labour. The prosecution related to transactions and decisions said to have taken place between 2013 and 2016.
Among the findings in the Ghana case were allegations involving a GH¢500,000 loan to Obaatampa Savings and Loans, more than GH¢1.7 million intended for a sensitisation programme, and part of a GH¢1.4 million amount meant for victims of the Kantamanso fire disaster. The court also found irregularities in procurement, including vehicle and mobile phone purchases made at inflated prices.
The extradition ruling is a major development in Ghana’s effort to enforce the sentence and bring the former MASLOC boss back within the reach of its criminal justice system.
