US extradites ex-Ghana agency boss Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu over $6m corruption case

The United States has extradited Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), over her conviction in a corruption case involving the alleged embezzlement of more than $6 million in public funds.

The announcement was made via an official post by the US Embassy in Accra on its X account on Tuesday.

The extradition marks a key development in a long-running case tied to alleged financial misconduct during her tenure as head of the state-run microfinance institution responsible for supporting small businesses in Ghana.

What they are saying

The US Embassy in Accra described the development as evidence of strong cooperation between both countries in tackling financial crimes and enforcing accountability across borders.

• “Justice has no borders. The United States has extradited Sedina Tamakloe Attionu to Ghana, following her conviction on 70+ corruption-related charges, including embezzling more than $6M equivalent in Ghanaian taxpayer funds,” the Embassy said.

It added that the move reflects a shared commitment between the United States and Ghana to strengthen law enforcement collaboration and ensure accountability in corruption cases.

The Embassy further noted that this was the first extradition from the United States to Ghana since 2009, underscoring the rarity and significance of the case in bilateral judicial cooperation.

Backstory

On April 16, 2024, a High Court in Ghana sentenced the former MASLOC chief executive to 10 years in prison with hard labour. Her Chief Operating Officer, Daniel Axim, was also sentenced to five years in prison with hard labour.

The trial, which ran from 2019 to 2024, was conducted in absentia after Tamakloe-Attionu left Ghana and did not return even after her conviction.

The court found both guilty on 78 counts, including causing financial loss to the state, theft, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and other related offences.

Six witnesses testified for the prosecution. Her co-accused testified in his defence but called no witnesses.

Prosecutors alleged that during her tenure, Tamakloe-Attionu and her co-accused misappropriated GH¢3.19 million (about $295,000) and caused additional losses of GH¢1.97 million (about $182,000) to the state.

They were also accused of entering into an unauthorised financial commitment that created obligations of GH¢61.4 million (about $6 million) for the government.

Other charges included property losses of GH¢22.15 million ($2.1 million), improper payments of GH¢274,000 ($26,000), and money laundering involving GH¢3.7 million ($342,000).

The court ultimately convicted both and imposed custodial sentences.

Tamakloe-Attionu did not return to Ghana to serve her sentence, triggering her extradition from the United States years later.

What you should know 

Extraditions involving West African suspects have increasingly involved coordinated cases between the United States, Europe, and African countries, particularly in cybercrime, fraud, and financial offences.

• In Nigeria, for example, Afeez Olatunji Adewale was extradited from Nigeria to the United States in 2026 over allegations of sexual extortion, wire fraud, and money laundering tied to a case involving a victim in Pennsylvania. His arrest formed part of an FBI-led operation targeting online sexual extortion networks operating across borders.
• In another case, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu was extradited from France to the United States in August 2025 over alleged cybercrime schemes, including identity theft and fraudulent tax refund claims amounting to millions of dollars. Authorities said he was linked to coordinated fraud operations that targeted U.S. government systems.
• Similarly, Farouk Adekunle Adepoju was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2025 following a U.S. extradition request over alleged wire and computer fraud involving a U.S. university. He was accused of diverting more than $235,000 through email compromise and payment redirection schemes.

These cases reflect a growing pattern of joint investigations between agencies such as the FBI, Interpol, and the U.S. Department of Justice, alongside security and judicial authorities in African and European countries.

The United States has extradited Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), over her conviction in a corruption case involving the alleged embezzlement of more than $6 million in public funds.

The announcement was made via an official post by the US Embassy in Accra on its X account on Tuesday.

The extradition marks a key development in a long-running case tied to alleged financial misconduct during her tenure as head of the state-run microfinance institution responsible for supporting small businesses in Ghana.

What they are saying

The US Embassy in Accra described the development as evidence of strong cooperation between both countries in tackling financial crimes and enforcing accountability across borders.

• “Justice has no borders. The United States has extradited Sedina Tamakloe Attionu to Ghana, following her conviction on 70+ corruption-related charges, including embezzling more than $6M equivalent in Ghanaian taxpayer funds,” the Embassy said.

It added that the move reflects a shared commitment between the United States and Ghana to strengthen law enforcement collaboration and ensure accountability in corruption cases.

The Embassy further noted that this was the first extradition from the United States to Ghana since 2009, underscoring the rarity and significance of the case in bilateral judicial cooperation.

Backstory

On April 16, 2024, a High Court in Ghana sentenced the former MASLOC chief executive to 10 years in prison with hard labour. Her Chief Operating Officer, Daniel Axim, was also sentenced to five years in prison with hard labour.

The trial, which ran from 2019 to 2024, was conducted in absentia after Tamakloe-Attionu left Ghana and did not return even after her conviction.

The court found both guilty on 78 counts, including causing financial loss to the state, theft, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and other related offences.

Six witnesses testified for the prosecution. Her co-accused testified in his defence but called no witnesses.

Prosecutors alleged that during her tenure, Tamakloe-Attionu and her co-accused misappropriated GH¢3.19 million (about $295,000) and caused additional losses of GH¢1.97 million (about $182,000) to the state.

They were also accused of entering into an unauthorised financial commitment that created obligations of GH¢61.4 million (about $6 million) for the government.

Other charges included property losses of GH¢22.15 million ($2.1 million), improper payments of GH¢274,000 ($26,000), and money laundering involving GH¢3.7 million ($342,000).

The court ultimately convicted both and imposed custodial sentences.

Tamakloe-Attionu did not return to Ghana to serve her sentence, triggering her extradition from the United States years later.

What you should know 

Extraditions involving West African suspects have increasingly involved coordinated cases between the United States, Europe, and African countries, particularly in cybercrime, fraud, and financial offences.

• In Nigeria, for example, Afeez Olatunji Adewale was extradited from Nigeria to the United States in 2026 over allegations of sexual extortion, wire fraud, and money laundering tied to a case involving a victim in Pennsylvania. His arrest formed part of an FBI-led operation targeting online sexual extortion networks operating across borders.
• In another case, Chukwuemeka Victor Amachukwu was extradited from France to the United States in August 2025 over alleged cybercrime schemes, including identity theft and fraudulent tax refund claims amounting to millions of dollars. Authorities said he was linked to coordinated fraud operations that targeted U.S. government systems.
• Similarly, Farouk Adekunle Adepoju was arrested in the United Kingdom in 2025 following a U.S. extradition request over alleged wire and computer fraud involving a U.S. university. He was accused of diverting more than $235,000 through email compromise and payment redirection schemes.

These cases reflect a growing pattern of joint investigations between agencies such as the FBI, Interpol, and the U.S. Department of Justice, alongside security and judicial authorities in African and European countries.