The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, has recently provided updates on the Government’s efforts in the extradition process of wanted Drug trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, following the end review of the documents provided by the Dutch Government.
The Attorney General had received a file of documents from the Dutch government earlier, which requested for the extradition of a convicted and sentenced criminal, Jos Leijdekkers, to the Netherlands.
Upon receiving the file, he had asserted that he would not determine what the action would be until they complete reviewing the documents.
In his recent updates, the Attorney General confirmed that they have successfully reviewed the said documents, admitting that he is not in the position to state their next steps. “We have read the documents in its entirety, and where we are to step in, has not been triggered yet.
We will be triggered after receiving updates from the police investigation,” he affirmed.
Alpha Sesay reasserted that indeed he received a bundle of documents from the Dutch Government, which stated a request for extraditing Jos Leijdekkers, whom he said, according to the Dutch Government, has been convicted and sentenced for committing a crime in the Netherlands.
In response to the government claims, who identified the wanted drug criminal as Umarr Sheriff, the Attorney General said, “I don’t know if the Government said the person whom they have is Umarr Sheriff.”
The Attorney General reflected that, during a press conference hosted by the Ministry of Information and Civic Education, the Inspector-General of Police Mr. William Fayia Sellu confirmed the the face of the suspected drug Lord, has been matched with his name on the record of Sierra Leone, which is Umarr Sheriff.
“When it comes to Mutual Legal Assistance, the government takes it seriously. Also, when it come to offenses like Transnational Crimes, the government takes issues of such very seriously as well,” he explained firmly.
He went further to shed light on the law in addressing the said issue, stating that the Law under the 1974 Extradition Act, made clear that the evidence, which is provided by the requesting state after completing their findings for their quest for extradition assistance, “they will pass the evidence to Sierra Leone through the office of the Attorney General, then I read what the government has done.”
Alpha Sesay asserted that he has had a telephone conversation with the Dutch Minister of Justice on the said issue, strongly affirming that anything that has to do with investigations, it is the responsibility of the police, not the Attorney General. Following the completion of any investigation by the police, he said, “it is the responsibility of the Attorney General to take the papers to court.”
