A United States (US) District Court has given the green light for the extradition of a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Tamakloe Attionu, to Ghana.
In 2024, the Accra High Court jailed Sedina Attionu for 10 years in absentia for stealing and causing financial loss of more than GH¢90 million during her tenure as the CEO of MASLOC from 2013 to 2016.
Sedina Attionu, who was standing trial prior to her conviction, failed to return to Ghana after she was granted permission by the Accra High Court to seek medical treatment in the US in 2021.
Extradition request
On April 9, this year, the US District Court, presided over by Daniel J Albregts, a US Magistrate Judge, gave the green light for the extradition after it approved a request by the US Government for an order certifying an extradition request by Ghana.
The extradition request made by Ghana was submitted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the US, and during the course of the hearing, the court heard evidence from an Assistant State Attorney from the Office of the Attorney-General in Ghana, the case investigator and other officials from the US.
In its conclusion, the court held that the extradition request by Ghana, in line with a treaty between Ghana and the US, was valid.
Again, the court held that the offences, for which Sedina Attionu had been charged and convicted, for which the extradition was made, were extraditable under the treaty.
“Therefore, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 3184, and the above findings, the Court certifies the extradition of Sedina Christine Tamakloe Attionu, aka Sedina Sharon Christine Acolaste, to Ghana on the 25 counts of Stealing in violation of 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); 9 counts of Conspiracy to Steal in violation of 23(1) and 124(1) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); 20 counts of Willfully Causing Financial Loss to the State in violation of 179A(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); 11 counts of Conspiracy to Willfully Cause Financial Loss to the State in violation of 23(1) and 179A(3)(a) of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29); three counts of Causing Loss to Public Property in violation of 2 of the Public Property Protection Act, 1977 (SMCD 140); and 4 counts of Money Laundering in violation of 1(1)(c) of the Anti-Money Laundering Act, 2008 (Act 749) and commits Attionu to the custody of the United States Marshal pending further decision on extradition and surrender by the Secretary of State pursuant to 18 U.S.C. 3186,” the court ruled.
Background
In September 2017, Sedina Attionu, together with Daniel Axim, a former Operations Manager of the MASLOC, were charged with 78 counts of causing financial loss to the state, stealing, conspiracy to steal, money laundering, and causing loss to public property in contravention of public procurement law.
They were accused of misappropriating over GH¢90 million MASLOC funds meant for the distribution to small and medium-scale businesses.
During the course of the trial, Sedina Attionu, in 2021, through her lawyers, prayed the court to grant her permission to travel to the US.
This request was granted, but Sedina Attionu failed to show up again for the trial.
On February 24, 2023, the Accra High Court, presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe, granted an application by the prosecution to conduct the trial of Attionu in absentia.
Before the trial in absentia, the court had, on January 24, 2023, ordered the former CEO of Ghana National Petroleum Corporation (GNPC), Alex Mould, and actor, Gavivina Tamakloe, to pay the GH¢5 million bail bond to the state for their failure to produce the accused person, whom they stood as sureties for.
In April 2024, the court found Sedina Attionu guilty, convicted her and jailed her for 10 years in absentia.
Axim was also found guilty and slapped with a five-year jail term.
Source: Graphic
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