The United States has extradited former Chief Executive Officer of Ghana’s Microfinance and Small Loans Centre, Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, to Ghana following her conviction on more than 70 corruption-related charges involving the embezzlement of over $6 million in public funds.
Announcing the development on Facebook on Tuesday, the U.S. Embassy in Ghana described the extradition as a demonstration of growing cooperation between both countries in the fight against corruption.
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“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 stated.
It added: “This is our strong US-Ghana law enforcement partnership in action demonstrating a shared commitment to accountability, and the first extradition from the United States to Ghana since 2009.”
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Background to the case
Ms Tamakloe-Attionu, a former head of Ghana’s Microfinance and Small Loans Centre, was convicted in absentia by an Accra High Court in 2024 and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour after being found guilty on multiple counts, including stealing, causing financial loss to the state, money laundering, conspiracy and procurement-related offences.
The centre which she had headed is a Ghanaian government agency established to provide microfinance and small loans to support small-scale businesses, vulnerable groups and poverty-reduction initiatives across the country.
The offences for which she was convicted were linked to the management and disbursement of funds between 2013 and 2016.
Prosecutors accused her of misappropriating public resources allocated to the programme.
Court records show she left Ghana for medical treatment in the United States during the trial and failed to return, leading to her prosecution and conviction in absentia.
Anti-corruption cooperation
Reacting to the extradition, University of Ghana law lecturer Kwadwo Appiagyei-Atua told the Ghana-based JoyNews that the development was evidence of effective international cooperation in tackling corruption and financial crimes.
“Yes, I think there is an international law angle to the corruption case we have now. And in fact, in most cases, corruption and international law have some strong relationships,” he said.
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He added: “So I think this is an example of how cooperation between two countries through an extradition treaty that binds the two countries can be used to ensure that justice is served for the particular country that has had some problems with a wrong committed by its citizen.”
The extradition follows an April ruling by a US District Court in Nevada, which upheld Ghana’s request and cleared the former official for transfer after finding sufficient grounds for extradition under the bilateral treaty between the two countries.
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