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Sierra Leone’s top immigration official was dismissed just hours after a video surfaced showing him accepting a gift from one of Europe’s most infamous drug traffickers, the government said on Wednesday.
In a clip released on Friday by the investigative outlet Follow the Money, Alusine Kanneh is seen enjoying himself at a party while receiving a gift from Jos Leijdekkers, a wanted Dutch drug trafficker believed to be in hiding in West Africa.
Earlier images reportedly featuring Leijdekkers, who is nicknamed “Chubby Jos”, alongside officials have fueled speculation that the cocaine kingpin has ingratiated himself with Sierra Leone’s political elite — including the president’s daughter.
In addition to Kanneh, Andrew Jaiah Kaikai, the head of Sierra Leone’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), was observed in the video from Friday attending the celebrations alongside Leijdekkers.
Follow the Money suggests that the footage was recorded last year.
The same day that the video surfaced, President Bio terminated Kanneh’s appointment, according to the country’s information minister, Chernor Bah, without giving a detailed reason for the decision.
Leijdekkers, also known as “Omar Sheriff”, is identified by Europol, the European Union’s law enforcement agency, as a major figure in the global cocaine trafficking network.
Concerns about his presence in Sierra Leone arose after the First Lady, Fatima Bio, shared images and a video online depicting a man closely resembling the 33-year-old at a religious gathering that President Bio also attended.
Exiled opposition leader Mohamed Mansaray has accused Bio and his administration of providing sanctuary to the drug trafficker, who is listed among Europol’s most wanted individuals. Mansaray claims that “Chubby Jos” has gotten involved with the president’s daughter, Agnes Bio, who is seen with the drug lord in the photos.
Last June, a court in Rotterdam sentenced Leijdekkers in absentia to 24 years in prison for orchestrating a murder and coordinating the transportation of seven tonnes of cocaine.
Europol has announced a reward of 200,000 euros for information that could lead to his capture.
