The Attorney General (AG) and Minister for Justice, Dr Dominic Akurintinga Ayine, has said there is nothing he can do to speed up the extradition of former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu to Ghana, to serve her sentence.
According to him, he is reliably aware that the convicted Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu is in the United States of America and processes have commenced for her extradition.
Answering questions in Parliament on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 the AG indicated that though it has been over a year since the request for extradition was dispatched, his office could do nothing, apart from constantly reminding the US authorities.
He noted that, under the Mutual Legal Assistance Arrangement, the responsible authorities in the United States of America are the ones who have to take the steps. “We cannot do anything to quicken the process”.
For instance, I can’t go to the U.S. and then ask to be joined to the action to quicken the process. It is the Justice Department that must comply with American law in extraditing her to come and serve her sentence in Ghana.
It is out of my hands. All I can do is to constantly remind them that we want her extradited to stand trial. That is all that I can do at this point in time,” he said.
REQUEST
The request for the extradition of the convict was dispatched on July 19, 2024 by the previous Akufo-Addo government.
Dr Dominic Ayine indicated to Parliament that the Department of Justice of the United States of America is in the process of extraditing Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu to Ghana to serve her sentence.
The AG noted that his office, two months ago, made checks on the process and was informed that immediately all procedures are met, the extradition would be carried out.
In effect, the AG’s office is awaiting the execution of the request to have her extradited to serve her prison sentence in Ghana.
“The International Cooperation Unit of the Attorney-General’s Department followed up on our request from the Department of Justice of the United States of America in September 2025,” the AG said, debunking claims he was not following the matter.
He continued that, “They (US) indicated that they are following their extradition procedures in executing the request and that the fugitive would be extradited as soon as they have satisfied all the procedures.”
He was answering a question from the MP for the Nalerigu-Gambaga constituency, Nurideen Muhammed Mumuni, who rose “to ask the Attorney-General and Minister for Justice about the plans of the Ministry to extradite Madam Sedina Tamakloe, who was convicted for misappropriating funds.”
THE CASE
The former MASLOC boss on April 16, 2024 was sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labour by an Accra High Court, for causing financial loss to the state, amounting to about GH¢90 million.
She was convicted alongside the former Chief Operating Officer of MASLOC, Daniel Axim, who was handed a five-year jail term with hard labour.
They were both found guilty on 78 counts relating to causing financial loss to the state; theft, conspiracy to steal, money laundering and contravening public procurement laws.
Tried in absentia, following court permission for a medical check-up abroad, the trial of Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu began in 2019 and conviction was secured in 2024, after six witnesses were called by the state. Her accomplice, Daniel Axim, testified in person.
They were tried for, among others, misappropriating funds allocated for MASLOC activities between 2013 and 2016.
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