Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States of America, Victor Smith, has confirmed the arrest and detention of former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe- Attionu in the United States.
In a statement issued on January 15, 2026, Victor Smith said Sedina Tamakloe was detained by the US Marshals on January 6, 2026 and has since been held at the detention center.
Her arrest and detention are said to have been carried out following an extradition request sent to US Authorities in July 2024 by the previous Attorney-General under the Akufo-Addo administration.
Ambassador Victor Smith added that Sedina Tamakloe is now in detention awaiting her day in court.
Background
Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was in April 2024, sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty on 78 counts, including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and breaches of the Public Procurement Act.
Her co-accused, former MASLOC Chief Operating Officer Daniel Axim, was also sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
The two were prosecuted for offences committed between 2013 and 2016, involving the misappropriation of funds meant for MASLOC activities. The trial, which began in 2019, saw the state call six witnesses.
Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was tried in absentia after she absconded while on permission from the court to seek medical treatment abroad. Daniel Axim, however, testified in person but did not call any witnesses.
Among the offences established by the court was the withdrawal of GH¢500,000 as a loan to Obaatampa Savings and Loans Company, which the convicts later demanded to be refunded after the institution declined to agree to a 24 percent interest rate. Although evidence showed the amount was refunded, it was not reflected in the accounts of MASLOC.
The court also found that over GH¢1.7 million allocated for a sensitisation exercise was misappropriated. MASLOC was expected to pay GH¢20 each to 85,300 beneficiaries, but only GH¢1,300 was used for the intended purpose.
Additionally, only GH¢579,800 out of GH¢1.4 million meant for victims of the Kantamanso inferno was disbursed, with the remainder unlawfully appropriated.
The case further involved inflated procurement costs for vehicles and Samsung mobile phones, with evidence indicating that the amounts paid exceeded prevailing market prices, despite the items being purchased in bulk.