Former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, has been returned to Ghana from the United States to begin serving a 10-year prison sentence handed down by the Accra High Court.
She arrived at Kotoka International Airport on Tuesday, June 9, aboard United Airlines flight UA 996, which touched down at about 9:01 a.m. after departing Washington Dulles International Airport. Upon arrival, she was taken into custody by security officials and is currently undergoing routine procedures, including debriefing and medical checks, before being transferred to prison.
Her extradition follows an extended legal and diplomatic process initiated after she failed to return to Ghana from a medical trip to the United States. In 2024, the Accra High Court tried and convicted her in absentia, sentencing her to 10 years’ imprisonment for offences including causing financial loss to the state and stealing.
The court found that her actions during her tenure as MASLOC CEO between 2013 and 2016 led to a financial loss of nearly GH¢90 million. The case arose from allegations of mismanagement and diversion of public funds within the state-run microfinance institution.
Sedina Attionu had been granted permission by the court in 2021 to travel abroad for medical treatment while her trial was ongoing but did not return, prompting the court to proceed with the case in her absence.
Following her conviction, Ghanaian authorities formally requested her extradition in 2025. A US District Court in Nevada later reviewed and approved the request after examining the evidence and legal submissions presented.
Her return marks a major milestone in a high-profile corruption case and highlights growing cooperation between Ghana and the United States in enforcing criminal judgments across borders. She is expected to be handed over to the Ghana Prisons Service after the completion of all necessary procedures to begin serving her sentence.
Authorities have not yet indicated whether any further legal action will follow, but her extradition is widely seen as a significant step in Ghana’s efforts to hold public officials accountable and recover fugitives who evade justice abroad.
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