Top executives of the main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) have said all those alleged or actually connected to the trending issue of Joseph (Jos) Leijdekkers and drug smuggling into and out of Sierra Leone will be prosecuted.
The ranking executives of the main opposition camp informed nightwatch that it can be assumed that the government of Sierra Leone, based on the interception of suitcases full of cocaine and $100,000 in cash and the identification of convicted cocaine smuggler Joseph (Jos) Leijdekkers in a picture taken at a New Year’s Day church ceremony in the president’s home village of Tihun, is involved in drug smuggling and money laundering.
The opposition dons said those enjoying their feigned immunity from prosecution based on being associated with the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) regime and the president should be reminded that their association with the convicted drugs smuggler and money launderer is criminal, adding that they have all committed crimes against the people and state.
“The SLPP is in power right now and no one expects anyone of them to either be exposed to the public or prosecuted. But after they leave government and hand power over to the opposition, they will all be prosecuted, even up to the president if he is found to be complicit in the aiding and abetting of drug smuggling in and out of the country. This is one executive decision the president cannot escape prosecution for if he is found to actually be involved,” the ranking APC executives informed this medium.
The APC executives that spoke to nightwatch on conditions of anonymity said even if they were to speak up and out about what has been happening in the public domain with regards ranking members of the Julius Maada Bio led government and their links to the convicted and wanted Jos Leijdekkers, “this party and government has the judiciary, the parliament and even state security on their side to make our objections ineffective.”
Meanwhile, a female member of the APC that is known for her outspokenness furthered the conversation that “even if these people invest in the economy by buying or investing millions and millions of dollars into local businesses, multinational enterprises, and or banks, if they invested or bought real estate or constructed or operated large farms, we will find all of them. We already know quite a bit about their operation from our international partners.”
The people of Sierra Leone are also demanding justice to repair the damage done to the image and reputation of not only the people and country but also to our Fountain of Honour and Commander-In-Chief of the Sierra Leone Armed Forces, the president or head of state.
“This situation with Jos Leijdekkers has to do with our international reputation and image around the world. Already we are hearing from our people travelling around the world of customs officials not looking kindly on people from Sierra Leone treating them as they treat the Nigerians (cocaine), the Colombians (cocaine), those from Guinea Bissau (cocaine), Afghanistan (heroin), and other countries known for either being narco states or well on their way to being classified as one. This regime has created an embarrassment for the people and state. This will have to be rectified sooner or later. There is no statute of limitation for crimes against the people and state. So it is either this regime owns up to this Jos Leijdekkers problem and out those who are wanted in connection with this young man or we will have to bring them back to answer after they relinquish state power. The long arm of the law is bound to see them come back home for prosecution no matter where they have invested their monies or bought homes and other expensive assets,” a civil society activist assured this medium, the people of Sierra Leone and our international partners.
Meanwhile, several reports have come out from reliable investigative media sources of people close to the regime buying expensive real estate in western and other countries, which purchases cannot be justified based on their current take home salary or monthly pay.
One of the APC stalwarts assured this medium that they have credible people in who are actively involved in the fight against international criminal groups and organised crime that regularly share intelligence with the opposition on the movement of money and illicit drugs or minerals in and out of Sierra Leone, adding that “whenever our officials leave this country, especially when the president travels with his huge entourage, they are all being followed or watched because of their alleged involvement in drugs and money smuggling.”
“This regime must know that we know of all the instances of them smuggling drugs and stashing money in offshore accounts. This will all be exposed. This government may be naïve enough to forget that we are not in the 80s or 90s, but the 21st century. If they remember how the wikileaks disclosures devastated and exposed governments and ranking business and other people around the world? Then why should this regime not consider that none of their secret deals were or are really secret? Why shouldn’t they consider that if it was that easy to identify Jos Leijdekkers then it is absolutely easy to pinpoint all their drugs and money laundering excursions disguised as being on the business of the people and government of Sierra Leone? No matter who we find out is complicit in this matter involving convicted drugs smuggler Jos Leijdekkers he or she will face prosecution, now or in the future. The people of Sierra Leone should rest assured that the APC will get justice for our tarnished image and reputation,” the ranking stalwart APC said.
According to American news station CBS news, police in Sierra Leone have said they are hunting a Dutch drug trafficker who is one of Europe’s most-wanted fugitives and believed to be hiding out in the west African country.
Jos Leijdekkers was sentenced in absentia by a Rotterdam court in June last year to 24 years in prison for organizing the transport of seven tons of cocaine and ordering a murder.
Suspicion that he was in Sierra Leone arose after the country’s first lady Fatima Bio posted pictures and a video on social media that showed a man strongly resembling Leijdekkers at a religious service attended by President Julius Maada Bio. National police inspector general William Fayia Sellu said investigators had identified the man in the photos as Leijdekkers, alias “Omar Sheriff.”
According to the latest from CBS news, “A police man-hunt has been launched to arrest him, visiting several locations, but he has not been found yet,” he told a news conference.
The 33-year-old — who authorities say is also known as “Bolle Jos” (“Chubby Jos”) — is on the European Union law enforcement agency Europol’s most-wanted list. “Leijdekkers is considered to be one of the key players in international cocaine trafficking,” according to Europol.
Leijdekkers is also believed to be involved in the disappearance and death of Naima Jillal, a woman who went missing in 2019 after she got into a car in Amsterdam, according to Europol. Intercepted messages allegedly showed that Leijdekkers “played an important role in Jillal’s disappearance,” the agency said.
“For a long time, there was no trace of Naima Jillal, until photos of a woman believed to be her were found on a phone seized in the Marengo investigation,” Europol said. “The photos show that she was most likely tortured and is probably no longer alive.”
Last month, the BBC reported that Dutch prosecutor Wim de Bruin said the fugitive’s return to the Netherlands was of “the highest priority.”
Europol has offered a 200,000-euro ($208,000) reward for information leading to his arrest.
As the BBC notes, West Africa is a major transit point for the trafficking of cocaine from Latin America. Last month, Sierra Leone recalled its ambassador from neighbouring Guinea after seven suitcases containing suspected cocaine were found in an embassy vehicle.
“This should send a warning to our cocaine collaborators that when we establish their knowledge of, relationship with, and how much they benefitted from their relationships with Jos Leijdekkers then they can be held liable for his offenses for aiding and abetting him to defeat the course and aim of justice by helping him avoid paying his debt to society for his crimes. This will make them guilty of drug smuggling, money laundering, and the disappearance of Jillal. Jos Leijdekkers’ cocaine collaborators will be prosecuted!” the APC executive assured.