Government affirms Jos Leijdekkers’ stay in Sierra Leone

Lawrence Williams: Siera Leone Telegraph: 27 October 2025:

After numerous denials, the government has publicly unwittingly acknowledged that the Dutch cocaine underworld prince, Jos Leijdekkers, is staying in Sierra Leone. This acknowledgement came from Chernoh Bah, the official government spokesman and Minister of Information and Civic Education, during a recent press briefing.

Minister Bah was addressing growing public concerns regarding Leijdekkers, also known as Bolle Jos, who is on Europe’s most wanted list for large-scale cocaine trafficking and organized crime.

He stated that the Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice are actively collaborating with international partners, including the Dutch government, to ensure a swift and transparent extradition process.

“The Office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice is working closely with the Dutch authorities and other international partners to expedite the extradition process,” Minister Bah affirmed. He further emphasized that this process will strictly adhere to the country’s laws in order to uphold the rule of law.

Zacharia Jalloh of the government’s Strategic Communications Unit reiterated these points communicated via the ministry’s official WhatsApp channel.

Minister Bah’s statements also addressed increasing scrutiny of Sierra Leone’s diplomatic and security procedures, prompted by media reports linking foreign criminals to the possession of Sierra Leonean diplomatic passports.

The Minister clarified that a full investigation has been launched to verify these claims.

“The government is investigating the matter to establish the facts,” Bah stated. He added, “It is important for the public to understand that anyone can choose to engage in criminal acts on their own, but the Government of Sierra Leone does not and will never knowingly issue the country’s passport to criminals.”

The public now awaits the outcomes of both the Leijdekkers extradition case and the ongoing passport investigation from the country’s justice and security sector.