Government Suspends Four Officials Over Alleged U.S. Visa Fraud Linked to SLPP MP Sidie Tunis
Alex Fefegula Harding Sierra Leone’s Foreign Affairs Ministry will formally apologize to Mohamed Sidie Tunis over procedural failures linked to a disputed visa-processing exercise, while suspending four officials pending further investigation.
In a press release issued Monday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation said its investigative committee had completed a review of the September 2023 visa-processing exercise and submitted its findings to management.
The ministry said the committee identified shortcomings in consular administration, the verification and authorization of documents, supervisory oversight and internal controls.
Following its review of the report, ministry management referred the findings and supporting evidence to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for investigation under its legal mandate.
The four officials suspended from duty with immediate effect are Alieu Badara Mansaray, head of chancery at Sierra Leone’s embassy in Algeria and the former head of the Consular Unit when the reported incident occurred; Thomas Alfred Sengeh, acting deputy secretary; Isatu Joelyn Jalloh, senior assistant secretary; and Shamit Aminata Tarawallie, second secretary at Sierra Leone’s embassy in Ireland.
The ministry also ordered Mansaray and Tarawallie to be withdrawn from their overseas postings.
The planned apology to Tunis addresses what the ministry described as procedural failures within its systems and any resulting prejudice. The release did not provide further details about the wording or timing of the apology.
The ministry stressed that the administrative measures do not establish criminal wrongdoing or determine the individual responsibility of any of the officials. It said further decisions would depend on the ACC’s findings, applicable law and the actions of the competent authorities.
The ministry said it would strengthen its administrative and consular safeguards and cooperate fully with the commission. It also pledged to issue further public updates when appropriate.
The investigation concerns the September 2023 visa-processing exercise and related matters reported by Tunis. The ministry’s statement did not disclose the committee’s full findings or specify what action the ACC might take following its investigation.