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UN hails Sierra Leone's anti-narcotic stance |
The President of the UN Security Council, Mr. Le Luong Minh, has praised Sierra Leone's President Ernest Bai Koroma's stance against 'narco-terrorism' and drug traffick ing.
In a letter, he described as 'admirable'' the country's action in seizing a huge quantity of cocaine, the air plane that ferried it and its three-man crew as well as some local actors..
President Koroma had not only ordered an immediate investigation into the origin , intent, content and final destination of the aircraft which landed here without authorisation on Saturday, but had also invited invest igators from the US Federal Bureau of Investigators (FBI) and other international investigators from the United Kingdom as well as anti-na rcotic agencies to assist in the inquiry.
A white Venezuelan-registered aircraft with a Red Cross emblem landed in Sierra Leone's Lungi International Airport on Saturday with 703kg of cocaine.
President Koroma, who was returning from the Gambia about the same time the stra nge plane landed, quickly went to inspect it and ordered an immediate investigation.
His prompt action has attracted praises from some Western embassies in Sierra Le one and the United Nations Security Council, whose President wrote a letter of approval of the government's effort to combat the drug menace.
"The recent large seizure of cocaine in Sierra Leone is yet another instance of how drugs and organised criminal networks can serve to hamper efforts to maintain sovereignty and integrity.
"Therefore, I believe that the Security Council's support will be crucial to bol ster the ongoing admirable actions by the Government of Sierra Leone to develop effective and sustainable security systems..."
"I take this opportunity to refer to my earlier presentations to the Security Co uncil on the threat increasingly being faced by West Africa as a hub for the ill i cit trafficking of cocaine from South America to Europe,'' he wrote.
Meanwhile, the 19 suspects, including eight foreigners, arrested in connection w ith the cocaine saga have made their first appearance at the Freetown Magistrate
Court No.1 presided over by Magistrate Deen Tarawallie.
They face an eight-count charge ranging from malicious damage on the airport per imeter fence, illegal landing, unlawful possession of small arms, aiding the esc a pe of suspects, to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
They were refused bail and are currently detained at the maximum Pademba Road Pr isons in Freetown.
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