By Kemo Cham
The Sierra Leone government has confirmed the arrest of an official vehicle belonging to its embassy in Guinea with a substance suspected to be cocaine.
It followed days of rumors that the Sierra Leonean ambassador based in Conakry, Alimamy Bangura, had been detained in connection to a drug trafficking incident.
But Minister of Foreign Affairs, Timothy Musa Kabba, said on Thursday that the government had mounted an investigation after it was officially informed by its Guinean counterpart on Monday, January 13th about the incident.
The details provided by the Minister at a press briefing on Thursday indicated that the vehicle was intercepted on December 31st, with two occupants – the driver and a passenger. He further revealed that a total of seven suitcases containing a substance suspected to be cocaine were discovered in the vehicle, along with other items including phones and a USD2000 cash.
According to the Foreign Minister, the vehicle was a utility one, not assigned to any specific official.
“The vehicle arrested is a utility vehicle of the embassy and not the official vehicle of the ambassador,” he said, noting however that the ambassador has been recalled to Freetown to provide explanation for the incident.
Also invited to Freetown for explanation is the head of chancery at the embassy, whose office reportedly issued a clearance document for the vehicle to travel to Sierra Leone and back.
According to the Sierra Leone government, as at this point there was no evidence suggesting that its ambassador was involved. And Minister Kabba denied suggestion that the ambassador was under detention.
“The government of Sierra Leone is collaborating with the Guinean authorities to verify the facts on the matter and anyone found guilty of breaking Sierra Leonean and international drug trafficking laws will face the full force of the law,” said Minister Kabba.
But the incident is surely a source of embarrassment for the government, coming just over a month after a diplomatic incident sparked by the deportation of Sierra Leonean nationals from Guinea. That came as a result of an operation by Guinean security forces meant to rid the capital, Conakry off drugs and crimes.
Many of the slum communities raided in that operation were largely inhabited by Sierra Leonean immigrants. According to reports, over 200 Sierra Leoneans were detained and later deported.
But the decision by Guinea to deport the Sierra Leoneans led to a standoff at the border between the two countries after Sierra Leone immigration officials refused to accept the deportees, citing breach of diplomatic protocol.
The incident also led to what has been described as a retaliatory action targeting suspected Guineans in Sierra Leone, which the government however denied.
Sierra Leone, Guinea and Liberia are all dealing with a drug and substance abuse crisis. And there have been finger pointing as to who is the source of the problem.
The Liberian government has repeatedly blamed its two neighbours for its drug crisis.
