SUNTV Global Channel | 16th January 2026 | Washington D.C., U.S.
In a dramatic turn of events, U.S. authorities have arrested former Ghana Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC) CEO Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu along with ex-Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta over alleged financial crimes and immigration violations. The arrests mark a significant step in Ghana’s ongoing fight against corruption and fugitive financial offenders abroad.
Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, who led MASLOC from 2013 to 2016, had left Ghana in 2019 after requesting court approval for a medical check-up abroad, but never returned to face trial. She and a deputy CEO were previously charged with embezzlement, causing financial loss to the state, and money laundering.
According to a statement from Ghana’s Ambassador to the U.S., Victor Smith, Tamakloe-Attionu was detained by U.S. Marshals on 6th January 2026 at the Nevada Southern Detention Center in response to an extradition request sent by Ghana in July 2024. She is expected to appear in a U.S. court soon as the extradition process moves forward.
“US authorities are following the extradition process to execute the request; they have confirmed that the fugitive will soon be extradited after all procedures are completed,” Ambassador Smith said.
Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu was sentenced in absentia on April 16, 2024, receiving 10 years in jail with hard labor, while her chief operating officer, Daniel Axim, was sentenced to five years. The High Court found the duo guilty on 78 counts, including embezzlement of GHC 3.19 million ($295,000), causing financial loss of GHC 1.97 million ($182,000), and unauthorized government commitments totaling GHC 61.4 million ($6 million). Additional charges included property loss, improper payments, and laundering of GHC 3.7 million ($342,000).
In a related development, former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta was also detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on 6th January 2026 at the Caroline Detention Facility in Virginia, for overstaying his U.S. visa and facing corruption charges in Ghana. ICE confirmed that Ofori-Atta entered the United States on 28th May 2025 on a visitor visa which expired on 27th November 2025.
Lawyers for Ofori-Atta have stated that the former minister’s legal team is actively engaging ICE, with a pending petition for adjustment of status that could allow him to remain legally in the United States while extradition requests are considered. Ghana’s Attorney General, Dr. Dominic Ayine, confirmed that an extradition request for Ofori-Atta and his former chief of staff, Ernest Akore, was submitted on 18th December 2025.
The arrests highlight the U.S. government’s cooperation with Ghana in tackling high-profile financial crimes committed by officials who fled the country. Authorities in Ghana have expressed optimism that the extradition process will bring the accused back to face justice, sending a clear message that corruption will not be tolerated—even beyond the nation’s borders.
SUNTV Global Channel will continue to monitor this developing story, providing updates on the extradition proceedings and any court appearances of Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu and Ken Ofori-Atta.
