Alfred Tuah-Yeboah, the Deputy Attorney General, has affirmed that his department is actively pursuing the extradition of Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, the former CEO of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), to serve her sentence.

Tamakloe-Attionu was on Tuesday, April 16, sentenced to 10 years in prison with hard labor for her role in causing financial losses to the state.

Also, Daniel Axim, the former Chief Operating Officer of MASLOC, has been handed a five-year jail term with hard labor.

The convictions arise from their involvement in 78 charges, encompassing actions such as causing financial detriment to the state, theft, conspiracy to commit theft, money laundering, and violating public procurement regulations.

Engaging the media following the conviction of Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu, Deputy Attorney General Alfred Tuah-Yeboah intimated that the extradition process for the former MASLOC CEO had already commenced before her sentencing on Tuesday.

Despite encountering some obstacles along the way, Tuah-Yeboah expressed confidence that the court’s decision would expedite the extradition proceedings.

He emphasized the significance of accountability, stating, “What is refreshing is that she will be brought down to face justice. In Ghana, we have various laws governing extradition, ensuring that individuals cannot evade responsibility for their actions.”

Tuah-Yeboah conveyed the Attorney General’s satisfaction with the sentence and assured the public of impending news regarding Mrs. Tamakloe-Attionu’s return to Ghana.

Background

The convictions come from the theft of monies intended for MASLOC operations between 2013 and 2016.

According to the prosecution, in one case, the convicts withdrew GH₵500,000 from Obaatampa Savings and Loans firm and demanded a return after the organization refused to offer a 24% interest rate.

Although documentation of the return was produced, it was not recorded in MASLOC’s accounting.

Additionally, it was determined that the pair had stolen more than GH¢1.7 million meant for a sensitization campaign, of which only a small portion had been used for the original purpose. Similar to this, money intended to compensate victims of a fire at Kantamanso was not entirely released; a sizeable amount was pilfered by the defendants.

The lawsuit also included spending more money than was reasonable at the time to buy cars and Samsung phones for MASLOC.

Evidence revealed that the quantities paid were more than market prices even if they were purchased in bulk.