A former Chief Executive Officer of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, has been arrested in the United States, Ghana’s Embassy in Washington has officially confirmed. The arrest marks a major development in a long-running corruption case that has drawn national attention over the years.
In a statement dated January 15 and signed by Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States, Emmanuel Victor Smith, the embassy disclosed that Tamakloe-Attionu was arrested by the United States Marshals Service on January 6, 2026. She is currently being held at the Southern Nevada Detention Centre in Pahrump, where she remains in custody pending court proceedings.
Tamakloe-Attionu was convicted in absentia by an Accra High Court in April 2024 and sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment for multiple offences committed during her tenure as head of MASLOC. Her conviction followed years of investigations into the alleged mismanagement and misappropriation of public funds at the state agency.
Her former deputy, Daniel Axim, who served as Chief Operating Officer, was also found guilty and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment with hard labour for his role in causing financial loss to the state amounting to GH¢90 million.
According to prosecutors, Tamakloe-Attionu absconded while on court-approved travel abroad for medical treatment and failed to return to Ghana to stand trial. Her absence led to the court proceeding with the case in her absence, culminating in her conviction and sentencing.
Investigations conducted by the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO), which began in 2017, uncovered widespread irregularities involving the fraudulent disbursement of public funds under her administration. The prosecution accused her of embezzling GH¢3.19 million and wilfully causing an additional financial loss of GH¢1.97 million to the state.
She was also found to have made unauthorised financial commitments that exposed the government to liabilities totalling GH¢61.74 million. These actions, the court ruled, amounted to a gross abuse of office and a violation of public trust.
Further details presented during court proceedings outlined specific transactions linked to her conviction. Evidence showed that she personally appropriated GH¢500,000 of MASLOC funds after the money was returned by Obaatanpa Micro-Finance Company Limited.
She was also found to have withdrawn GH¢1.816 million for a nationwide sensitisation programme, despite board approval being limited to GH¢1.706 million. Investigators revealed that only GH¢1,300 was spent on refreshments in a few regions, with no programme conducted nationwide as claimed.
Additional findings showed irregular disbursements to victims of the 2013 Kantamanto Market fire disaster, inflated procurement of vehicles without approval from the Public Procurement Authority, and the purchase of mobile phones at prices far above market value.
The arrest of Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu is expected to reignite discussions on accountability, asset recovery, and cross-border cooperation in the fight against corruption, as Ghanaian authorities pursue efforts to ensure she serves her sentence.
