A United States District Court has certified the extradition of former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, to Ghana following her conviction for multiple financial crimes.
The ruling, delivered by US Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts in Nevada, found that there is sufficient legal basis for her extradition. “Probable cause exists to believe that Sedina Tamakloe committed the offences for which extradition is sought,” the court stated.
According to report file by 3news, the court further ordered that Attionu, who is a pharmacist by profession, be committed to the custody of the United States Marshals pending a final decision on her extradition and surrender by the US Secretary of State.
According to the ruling, the certification covers a wide range of charges, including 25 counts of stealing, nine counts of conspiracy to steal, 20 counts of willfully causing financial loss to the state, 11 counts of conspiracy to cause financial loss, three counts of causing loss to public property and four counts of money laundering.
The extradition request follows her conviction in 2024 by an Accra High Court, which sentenced her in absentia to 10 years’ imprisonment for causing financial loss of nearly GH¢90 million to the state during her tenure as MASLOC CEO between 2013 and 2016.
Attionu failed to return to Ghana after being granted permission by the High Court in 2021 to travel to the United States for medical treatment. Her absence led to the trial proceeding without her presence, culminating in her conviction and sentencing.
In 2025, the Government of Ghana formally initiated extradition proceedings, leading to the certification by the US court. The latest decision represents a critical step in the extradition process, although the final determination rests with the US Secretary of State.
Legal experts note that certification by a US court confirms that the legal requirements under US extradition law have been met, including the existence of probable cause and the validity of the charges under the applicable treaty.
If approved by the Secretary of State, Attionu will be returned to Ghana to serve her sentence and face the full enforcement of the court’s ruling.
By Gifty Boateng