Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu
Details have emerged about an appeal filed by former Chief Executive Officer of Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), Sedina Christine Tamakloe-Attionu, challenging her conviction and 10-year jail term imposed by a High Court for causing financial loss and stealing from the state.
Court documents sighted by DAILY GUIDE indicate that her conviction and sentence for offences including conspiracy to steal, stealing, causing financial loss to the state, improper payment of public funds, money laundering, among others is “unreasonable and cannot be supported having regard to the evidence on record.”
The appeal, filed by her lawyers, also argues that the High Court erred in convicting Ms. Tamakloe-Attionu on the charges levelled against her.
Arrival In Wheelchair
Tamakloe-Attionu reportedly arrived in Ghana on June 9, 2026 from the United States following her extradition to serve her 10-year jail term.
Reports suggest that she arrived at the Accra International Airport in a wheelchair and appeared “visibly ill with swollen limbs after being extradited from the United States of America, where she had been receiving medical treatment.”
She had been in the United States since 2021 after failing to return to Ghana to face trial, after she was granted permission by the court to travel for medical checkup.
She was found guilty and sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment in absentia for bloating contracts and spending part of relief funds meant for victims of the Kantamanto fire outbreak.
Tamakloe-Attionu was also jailed for pocketing an amount of GH¢500,000 invested by MASLOC at Obaatanpa Microfinance Company Limited which was returned to MASLOC because of the high interest demanded, but the money never reflected in the accounts of the Centre.
She was also fined a total of GH¢78,000 for the offences and, in default, she will serve another six years in jail.
An interdicted Operations Manager of MASLOC, Daniel Axim, was also sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for the same offence, for his role in the looting of state funds.
US Arrest
Tamakloe-Attionu was arrested and detained by US Marshals on January 6, 2026, and was being held at the Nevada Southern Detention Center pending legal proceedings to have her extradited to Ghana.
In April this year, a United States Magistrate judge, Daniel J. Albregts of the District of Nevada, ordered the extradition of Tamakloe-Attionu to Ghana to serve her 10-year jail term after finding that the information presented to it by the Ghana government and its US counterpart “is competent evidence to establish probable cause that Attionu committed the crimes with which she is charged and has been convicted.”
Appeal
But her lawyers have filed an appeal seeking to acquit her of the charges and set aside the conviction and the jail term, arguing that the High Court presided over by Justice Afia Serwah Asare-Botwe erred when it found her guilty of the offences she was charged with.
Her lawyers argue that there was no need for her to open her defence since the prosecution failed to establish a prima facie case against her.
The appeal also argues that the charge sheet which initiated the criminal proceedings against Tamakloe-Attionu, resulting in her conviction is “incurably defective and therefore cannot form the basis” for her conviction.
It is the view of her lawyers that the impugned counts of charges do not have detailed particulars informing her of the nature of the offences she was charged with.
“For instance, the prosecution alleges that the Appellant dishonestly appropriated monies but fails to provide details in the particulars of what acts or omissions constitute dishonest appropriation.”
The appeal also contends that no sufficient evidence was led by the prosecution beyond reasonable doubt to prove that Tamakloe-Attionu dishonestly appropriated GH¢500,000 belonging to MASLOC.
“In the circumstances, we urge your Lordships to acquit and discharge the Appellant of the offence of stealing GH¢500,000,” portion of the appeal noted.
The appeal concluded that given the arguments canvassed, a proper case has been made to demonstrate that the conviction and the sentence of Tamakloe-Attionu by the High Court is unreasonable and cannot be supported, having regard to the evidence on record.
“Accordingly, we pray that the conviction and sentence of the Appellant is set aside and the Appellant acquitted and discharged in respect of all the charges she has been convicted of,” it added.
BY Gibril Abdul Razak