Minister for Justice and Attorney General, Dr Dominic Ayine, has hinted that barring any last minute changes, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loan Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, would soon be brought back in Ghana to serve her jail term.
The pharmacist, who has been out of the jurisdiction for some years now was prosecuted in absentia.
In April 2024, she was finally sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour while former a Chief Operating Officer of the Company, Daniel Axim was also jailed for five years with hard labour.
They were both found guilty on 78 counts of causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and causing loss to public property in contravention of public procurement law.
The two were on trial since 2019. The state called six witnesses in all while the first accused person Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was tried in absentia as she absconded after obtaining the permission of the court to seek a medical checkup outside the country.
The second accused person, however, testified in person but did not call any witnesses. The offences for which the accused persons were found guilty border on the appropriation of monies meant for MASLOC activities between the period of 2013 and 2016.
In one of the instances, the convicts were found to have withdrawn GHc 500,000 as a loan for Obaatampa Savings and Loans Company but demanded a refund of the amount when the financial institution refused to yield a 24% percentage on the matter.
Addressing the media under the Government Accountability Series platform at the presidency, on Thursday December 18, Dr Ayine said before leaving office, his predecessor last year put in the request to extradite her and his office followed up in September this year.
He said his expectation is that Attionu is likely going to land in Ghana any moment from now. According to him, the process to get her back into the country is certain because the American authorities have completed their part of the work.
“Now, the other thing is about the other question related to the former MASLOC CEO. I had to answer questions in Parliament in relation to her extradition. And I did indicate to Parliament that in July of 2024, a formal request for her extradition was put in by my predecessor.
In other words, it was put in by my office. Now, the American authorities have worked on it. They’ve worked on the extradition. The extradition proceedings have taken place in the United States. And we are expecting that, you know, barring any appeal by her lawyers, you know, she may, you know, very soon be extradited to Ghana to serve her prison term”, Dr Ayine said.
He was however quick to add that, he could not definitively give better and further particulars as to which date Attionu will be brought into the country.
He cautioned the possibility of the ex-CEO also going back to the court to battle the case when she finally lands in Ghana.
“And her lawyers, of course, if she comes and she instructs them to go to court on her behalf because she was tried in absentia, that would be another, you know, angle to the matter.
But that drama will be played out here on this side of the Atlantic and not in the United States of America. So that is all that I can say about her. I don’t have any definitive information about when she will be, you know, extradited.
But Americans have indicated that they’ve completed the process”.
By Gifty Boateng