Many officials of the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party ( SLPP ) are going to be implicated in the cocaine scandal involving Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to Guinea , Alimamy Bangura and other embassy officials.
The scandal started last week when Guinean security intercepted a Sierra Leone Embassy vehicle with diplomatic license plates in which was found along suitcase containing satchets of cocaine.
The news was first reported by the Sierra Leone media, followed by the BBC. Now, according to reports being received by COCORIOKO, many government officials in Sierra Leone are going to be implicated. This was how the BBC reported the news :
iSuitcases of ‘cocaine’ found in Sierra Leone embassy vehicle
BBC
A small plastic bag containing a white powder next to a package wrapped in brown parcel tape.
17 January 2025
Sierra Leone has recalled its ambassador from neighbouring Guinea after seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine were found in an embassy vehicle.
On Monday, Guinean authorities impounded a vehicle belonging to Sierra Leone’s embassy and detained its occupants on suspicion of possessing “substances suspected to be cocaine”, Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Alhaji Musa Timothy Kabba said.
“In light of this serious development, the government has urgently recalled Sierra Leone’s ambassador to Guinea, Ambassador Mr Alimamy Bangura, to Freetown to provide a full account of the incident,” he added.
The recalled envoy was not in the car and is not under arrest, the minister said.
“It has not been proven that the ambassador is involved in this trafficking,” Kabba said.
About $2,000 (£1,600) in cash was found along with the seven suitcases, according to the minister, who did not specify the weight of the suspected drugs.
Kush: Sierra Leone’s new illegal drug
He said the two West African countries were cooperating in a “thorough” investigation of the incident, pledging that all responsible parties would be held accountable.
“Anyone found guilty of breaking Sierra Leonean and international drug trafficking laws will face full force of the law.”
ncident, pledging that all responsible parties would be held accountable.
“Anyone found guilty of breaking Sierra Leonean and international drug trafficking laws will face full force of the law.”
West Africa is a major transit point for the trafficking of cocaine from Latin America, where it is produced, to Europe, one of the drug’s main markets.
But some drugs are also being consumed locally.
Last April, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio declared drug abuse in the country a national emergency.
Kush, a psychoactive blend of addictive substances, has been prevalent in the country for years.
Local communities have called on the government to tackle the scourge and help them deal with drug users.
The Guinean Government has reportedly declared Mr. Alimamy Bangura, the Sierra Leonean Ambassador to Guinea, persona non grata and ordered him to leave the country immediately
This comes after the Government of Sierra Leone issued a press statement stating that they have recalled the Ambassador to provide a full report.
The conflicting statements from the two governments have caused controversy, with Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs claiming that the Ambassador was urgently summoned due to a troubling incident. The incident is believed to be related to prominent businessman Alhaji Bah, who has been implicated in a cocaine-related scandal.
While the Sierra Leone government has not disclosed the identity of the second individual involved, sources in Guinea suggest that he may be connected to a high-profile Sierra Leone businessman with interests in real estate and other industries in Freetown, as well as strong political ties.
Credit -Sierra Views News 1
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