Private legal practitioner Richard Nii Armah has suggested that the arrest and detention of former MASLOC boss Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu by United States officials does not guarantee her immediate return to Ghana.
Despite being prosecuted and sentenced in absentia, her extradition may face significant legal hurdles.
Mr. Armah explained that if Madam Tamakloe-Attionu has the financial resources, she will likely hire a strong legal team to litigate and prolong the process. He noted that such cases can often drag on for years in the international court system.
According to the lawyer, the only way the process would be expedited is if she admits to the wrongdoing in open court—an unlikely scenario if she intends to fight the extradition.
Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu, the former CEO of the Microfinance and Small Loans Centre (MASLOC), was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment with hard labour.
She was found guilty on 78 counts, including causing financial loss to the state, theft and conspiracy to steal, money laundering and breaches of public procurement laws
The trial began in 2019 and featured six prosecution witnesses. Ms. Tamakloe-Attionu was tried in absentia after she absconded while on approved medical leave abroad.
Although she is currently in U.S. custody, Mr. Armah warns that Ghanaians should not expect a swift conclusion.
Speaking on the programme As It Is in Ghana on Rainbow Radio, 87.5FM Ghana and 92.4FM UK, Mr. Armah was asked to compare her situation with the processes involving former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta.
He explained: “The case involving Tamakloe-Attionu is different from that of Ken Ofori-Atta. She has been prosecuted, tried and sentenced after being found guilty, and so for her, the moment she arrives in Ghana, she will be arrested and sent straight to Nsawam to serve her term. However, it is not going to be an easy ride. With enough resources, she can hire the best of lawyers to represent her in court to fight her extradition. This could take years, and so it is not so easy for Ghanaians to expect her to return. The arrest of Ofori-Atta by ICE will make it easier for him to be deported to Ghana than having to use the extradition processes to have Tamakloe-Attionu return to Ghana.”
Mr. Armah further suggested that many political leaders evade justice because they fear the “terrible conditions” of Ghanaian prisons.
He concluded with a reflection on the accountability of public officers: “I have maintained that prison is our second home. The woman in question was a former boss from MASLOC who got the resources to travel abroad while evading justice and running away from the prison in Ghana, but today, she has been arrested and detained and could be extradited to come and serve her term in the prison she was running away from. That is why it is important that we do not abuse our office when we get appointed to serve in public office with the hope of escaping justice. I am not happy she is going to prison, nor am I happy that Ken is facing these challenges. What I am happy about is that Ghanaians will now learn from what is happening, especially when in public office, not to steal since that could send you to jail.”
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
