Fugitive former MASLOC CEO detained in U.S., awaiting extradition to Ghana
Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, the former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) who was convicted and sentenced in absentia to ten years’ imprisonment, has been arrested and detained in the United States pending extradition proceedings.
The arrest was officially confirmed in a statement signed by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, His Excellency Victor Emmanuel Smith, dated Thursday, January 15, 2026.
The statement confirms she "is being detained at the Nevada Southern Detention Center" located at 2190 East Mesquite Avenue, Pahrump, Nevada.
Ambassador Smith provided specific details of the operation, stating, "My information is that she was detained by US Marshals on January 6th and has since been kept at that detention center."
He directly linked the arrest to a formal request from Ghanaian authorities, adding, "I am reliably informed that acting on an extradition request sent to the US Authorities sometime in July 2024, US Marshals arrested Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu and placed her in detention to await her day in court."
This development marks a significant step in the long-running case, which saw Tamakloe-Attionu and her former Chief Operating Officer, Daniel Axim, found guilty in April 2024 on 78 counts including causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and breaches of the Public Procurement Act. The offences were committed during her tenure between 2013 and 2016.
The former CEO was tried in absentia after she absconded while on permission from an Accra High Court to seek medical treatment abroad. Following her conviction, the State successfully applied for an arrest warrant in April 2024 to facilitate her capture and extradition to serve her prison sentence.
The court’s judgement detailed a litany of financial malfeasance. Among the key findings was that GH¢500,000 withdrawn as a loan for Obaatampa Savings and Loans was later demanded back and refunded, but never re-entered MASLOC’s accounts. The court also established that over GH¢1.7 million allocated for a national sensitisation exercise was misappropriated, with only GH¢1,300 used for its intended purpose.
Furthermore, funds meant for victims of the Kantamanso fire disaster were partially diverted, with only GH¢579,800 of GH¢1.4 million reaching beneficiaries. The conviction also covered the inflated procurement of vehicles and Samsung mobile phones, where bulk purchases were made at prices above prevailing market rates.
With her detention in Nevada, the complex process of extradition under the treaty between Ghana and the United States now begins. If successfully extradited, Tamakloe-Attionu will be returned to Ghana to serve her 10-year sentence with hard labour.
