Sierra Leone Telegraph: 19 September 2018:
A senior official at the State Department in the United States of America has confirmed to the Global Times that the Trump administration will “seriously consider” any request for extradition coming from “the appropriate authorities in Freetown”.
The source at the American embassy confirmed that the US Government “does not and will not provide cover for people running away from justice in their countries of origin”.
It is understood that a good number of politicians who served in the former APC administration of President Ernest Bai Koroma (Photo) are seeking refuge in the United States of America.
The Sierra Leone Government, in July this year, announced plans to set up a Commission of Inquiry that will look into the activities of several people who served in the APC administration between 2007 and April 2018.
Parliament is yet to ratify two major Statutory Instruments that are meant to serve as the basis for the setting up of the Commission of Inquiry.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) sources in Freetown are hinting that they intend to apply through the appropriate channels in Freetown, for the extradition of two former senior Cabinet Ministers that served in the Koroma administration, according to Global Times.
The two former Cabinet Ministers are Leonard Balogun Koroma (Photo above) and Ambassador Henry Macauley. No details have been released by the ACC.
Global Times says it understands that the ACC is preparing several indictments in the coming weeks, against some former senior Cabinet Ministers that served in the Koroma administration.
A source in the UK Foreign Office also hinted last week that the May administration would consider any “formal request” for extradition of any person wanted for questioning by the ACC.
It is believed that several former APC government officials including the fugitive former Immigration Chief are hiding in the United Kingdom.
It would be recalled that the British Government played a pivotal role in the setting up of the ACC in 2000.
There is a very important question to be answered, collectively, by the Attorney-general,Inspector General of police,the foreign minister and Minister of Interior:Where were their brain when former officials of the APC government were flying out in droves in the wake of the transition report?
Common sense ought to have informed these individuals that all those on the list of the transition report as suspects in massive corruption who had the wherewithal to flee the country would do so.It is with this in mind that they should have moved like a meteor falling out of space to block such a tendency by instructing airport personnel and all those manning our borders not to allow them to go through until contrary instructions were issued.
With Liberia and Guinea sporadically serving as a conduit for criminals to escape the clutches of Sierra Leone’s law on their way to Europe and the United States, the authorities in these countries should have been asked to help block their escape.
Sadly common sense is not common. What a paradox? President Bio should start taking a closer look at some of his lieutenants.They are a waste of time and money.
Until the commission of enquiry gets underway, the APC party and their criminal brigade would continue to avoid the day of reckoning. Already, they have started enlisting the help of British Politicians such as Neil Coyle, who is not afraid to wade into anything if it will bring him publicity and increase his stature in parliament.
The talk about human rights violation in Sierra Leone, as narrated by Mr. Coyle, is nothing but hogwash concocted to give the impression that these APC criminals are being persecuted unfairly. The notorious Leonard Balogun Koroma and Alieu Pat Sowe, are reported to be holing up in the US, but the moment they are convicted of any wrongdoing, every effort will be made to expose their hiding place. If they think they have gotten away, they better think twice because we know where they are; but we are currently powerless to accost them and to ensure that justice is served.
It’s about time!! Mr President you should also set up an investigation about the drug dealings with foreign nationals that acquire our diplomatic passport fraudulently to traffic drugs around the world.
Welcome news from both Britain and the USA. Corrupt people must be judged, so that such malaise will never happen again in Sierra Leone.