Sedina's prison sentence is only 'one step down' - Vanderpuye

Former Odododiodoo MP and National Coordinator of the District Road Improvement Programme (DRIP), Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, has called on former MASLOC Chief Executive Officer Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu to stay strong and use her imprisonment as an opportunity to rebuild her life following her extradition from the United States to Ghana.

Speaking on Channel One TV’s Breakfast Daily on Thursday, June 11, Vanderpuye said although Sedina Tamakloe’s return to Ghana under such circumstances was unfortunate, it should not mark the end of her journey.

A breakdown of Sedina Tamakloe Attionu’s crimes

“She has come and I wish her well. I can only say that she must take it on the shoulders. It’s just one step down. She shouldn’t lie there. She should get up and make her life. There are so many people who have gone through things and they’ve come out of it and become better persons,” he said.

Drawing from examples of world leaders and influential personalities who rose above adversity, Vanderpuye stressed that prison or public disgrace does not permanently define a person’s future.

“There’s a whole president of a country who has almost about 140 something convictions against him. You understand? But he’s a president of a country. So she can also make it. Joseph came from prison to become a prime minister.

“Jerry Rawlings came from prison to become a president, a head of state. Nelson Mandela. Kwame Nkrumah, so many examples,” he added.

His comments come in the wake of Sedina Tamakloe-Attionu’s extradition from the United States to Ghana to begin serving a 10-year prison sentence handed down by the Accra High Court.

The former MASLOC boss was convicted in absentia in 2024 on charges including stealing and causing financial loss to the state. The court found that her actions while serving as MASLOC CEO between 2013 and 2016 led to a financial loss of nearly GH¢90 million.

Sedina Tamakloe had travelled to the United States in 2021 after the court granted her permission to seek medical treatment while standing trial. However, she failed to return to continue with proceedings, forcing the court to conclude the case in her absence.

Following her conviction, Ghanaian authorities initiated extradition proceedings in 2025, requesting her return from the United States.

A US District Court in Nevada later reviewed the request and certified her extradition after examining documents presented by Ghanaian authorities, paving the way for her return to Ghana to serve her sentence.

NA/AM