Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Victor Smith has disclosed that the convicted former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu has been scheduled for a United States (U.S) court hearing on January 21, 2026.
He made the disclosure in an interview on Joy News, Friday, January 16, 2026 following reports by Asaase Radio which refuted earlier information by the Ambassador that Sedina Tamakloe is being detained at the Nevada Southern Detention Centre.
“I have gotten information from official sources where this lady is being kept and she is going to go to court on the 21st (January),” the Ambassador Victor Smith stated.
Asaase Radio in its report shared on January 16 claimed that Sedina Tamakloe Attionu was not listed in the detention center’s online inmate registry.
This raised questions about the embassy’s original statement that she was being held at the facility.
Ambassador Smith dismissed the media outlet’s report, describing it as an effort to create doubt.
He remarked, “That is Asaase Radio’s. I don’t know where they are coming from and why they want to muddy the waters.”
He added that Asaase Radio had sought to speak with on the matter but has declined to engage due to what he termed their “mischief.”
“They had actually tried to speak to me earlier on, I would have spoken to them but for this mischief and to try and muddy the waters,” he stated.
Victor Smith had earlier confirmed the arrest and detention of 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.
