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 Nevada Southern Detention Centre.
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.
Recently, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, disclosed that the United States government has assured Ghana it will not stand in the way of efforts to extradite Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu.
The assurance was conveyed during a high-level engagement between officials from the ministry and a United States delegation led by Acting US Ambassador to Ghana, Rolf Olson, as part of a comprehensive review of Ghana–US bilateral relations.
Mr Ablakwa made the disclosure in a Facebook post on Wednesday, January 14, following the meeting held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Background
The former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) was sentenced in absentia in April 2024 to 10 years in prison with hard labour by an Accra High Court.
She was found guilty on 78 counts, including causing financial loss of GHC90 million to the state, stealing, money laundering, conspiracy to steal, and contravening public procurement laws.
The former Operations Manager of the organisation, Daniel Axim, who is an accomplice, was also handed a five-years jail term.
Read also: Full Judgement: MASLOC CEO jailed 10 years
She sought permission from the court to travel to the United States for medical treatment during her trial and did not return, leading the court to proceed with the case without her.
She became a fugitive in the United States, with an arrest warrant issued by the Accra High Court.
In December 2025, reports indicated that the U.S. was completing final checks to finalize her extradition to Ghana.
