Former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, has arrived in Ghana following her extradition from the United States to serve a 10-year prison sentence imposed on her by the Accra High Court.
Sedina Attionu arrived at the Accra International Airport on Tuesday, June 9, aboard United Airlines flight UA 996, which landed at approximately 9: 01a.m. after departing from Washington Dulles International Airport in the United States at 11: 44 GMT
Sources familiar with the process confirmed that upon arrival, she was received by security personnel and taken into custody. She is currently undergoing debriefing and medical examinations as part of standard procedures before being transferred to begin serving her sentence.
Her return to Ghana follows a lengthy extradition process initiated by the Government of Ghana after she failed to return to the country following a medical trip to the United States.
In 2024, the Accra High Court convicted Sedina Attionu in absentia and sentenced her to 10 years imprisonment after finding her guilty of multiple offences, including causing financial loss to the state and stealing. The court held that her actions during her tenure as MASLOC Chief Executive between 2013 and 2016 resulted in a financial loss of nearly GH¢90 million to the state.
The conviction stemmed from a prolonged legal battle involving allegations of misappropriation and the diversion of state resources during her administration of the government-funded microfinance institution.
Sedina Attionu had initially been granted permission by the High Court in 2021 to travel to the United States for medical treatment while her trial was ongoing. However, she failed to return to Ghana to continue participating in the proceedings, prompting the court to continue the trial in her absence.
Following her conviction and sentencing, Ghanaian authorities intensified efforts to secure her return. In 2025, the Government of Ghana formally requested her extradition from the United States.
The extradition request was subsequently considered by a US District Court sitting in the State of Nevada. After reviewing the application and the supporting legal documentation submitted by Ghanaian authorities, the court certified the extradition request, paving the way for her return to Ghana to face the consequences of the court’s judgment.
Her arrival marks a significant development in one of Ghana’s most high-profile corruption-related prosecutions involving a former state official.
Authorities are expected to complete the necessary administrative, security and medical procedures before transferring her into the custody of the Ghana Prisons Service, where she will begin serving the 10-year custodial sentence handed down by the Accra High Court.
Officials are yet to indicate whether any additional legal proceedings will arise following her return, but her extradition and subsequent transfer to prison are expected to bring closure to a case that has remained in the public spotlight for several years.
The case has been widely cited by anti-corruption advocates as a major test of Ghana’s ability to pursue and secure the return of convicted public officials who leave the country while facing criminal proceedings. Sedina Attionu’s extradition is therefore being viewed as a landmark development in international cooperation between Ghanaian and US authorities in the enforcement of criminal judgments.
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