Journalist Melvin Mansaray Criticizes President Bio’s Reassignment of Former Chief Immigration Officer

Journalist Criticizes President Bio’s Reassignment of Former Chief Immigration Officer

Journalist and social commentator Melvin Tejan Mansaray has described President Julius Maada Bio’s decision to sack the former Chief Immigration Officer as “insignificant,” following a viral video allegedly showing the officer receiving a gift from Dutch fugitive and drug kingpin Johannes Leijdekkers.

Speaking on Liberty Online TV, Mansaray criticized the President’s decision, arguing that removing the Immigration head only to reassign him to another government role in Drug Law Enforcement undermines accountability and public confidence.

“You sack whether he’s guilty or not, but nobody knows if there was genuine political will,” Mansaray stated. “Immigration has long been plagued by systemic failures, even before the Bio administration. What’s dishonest is the lack of willingness to pursue leads in the drug investigation.”

He further alleged that the government itself should be investigated for possible links to drug-related corruption, noting that appointing the same official to another position  particularly in drug law enforcement  raises serious concerns.

“There are suspicions that the so-called ‘gift’ came from a cartel,” Mansaray said, citing reports by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) that have yet to be fully acted upon. “If the ACC were serious, they wouldn’t have ignored the reports exposing the houses he allegedly bought in the United States.”

Mansaray called on international bodies to investigate both the government and its handling of immigration and drug cases, emphasizing that accountability must be consistent, not selective.

The controversy comes amid growing public debate over Sierra Leone’s handling of corruption cases, particularly in key institutions such as Immigration and Drug Law Enforcement.