Detective Chief Superintendent of Police Madam Jenevieve Tity Cowan, the Head of the International Criminal Police Organisation National Central Bureau-Freetown commonly called Interpol, on Wednesday, March 27th, 2024 delivered lectures to a cross-section of Police personnel of the Harbour Police Division on roles and responsibilities of her department in the Investigations, Prosecution, and Extradition of persons suspected to have committed or about to commit criminal offenses that falls under the mandate of Interpol.

She starts by giving a brief background of Interpol when Sierra Leone became a member stating that it was established in 1923 in Vienna, and Sierra Leone became a member of the esteemed organization on 7th September 1962. It comprised 196 members of countries globally. Dakar is the West Africa Headquarters of Interpol while Paris hosts the global offices of Interpol.

Madam Jenevieve Cowan furthered that each member country has a National Central Bureau that closely collaborates with other member states as Interpol has no stand-by Police Force.

ASP Mohamed Mahmoud Conteh, the Head of Investigations at Interpol National Central Bureau, succinctly elaborated on the nature of cases that fall under the purview of Interpol including but not limited to “stolen motor vehicles, stolen travel/missing documents like passports and visas, match-fixing (which he said is the fastest growing global criminal enterprise), Bio-terrorism”, among others. Hence, the Interpol Investigations Chief described his organization as “the world police that assists member states to combat all forms of organized transnational crimes for a safer world.”

ASP Mohamed Mahmoud Conteh also stated that his organization operates on national and international laws of the respective member states.

“What constitutes a criminal offense in one country may not be a criminal offense in another country that may warrant extradition,” he emphatically stated, citing several examples of cases wherein Interpol had wanted certain individuals to be extradited to Sierra Leone to face justice.

He said Interpol can issue a Red Notice, a Yellow Notice, and a Green Notice for someone depending on the allegation against them, adding that in Sierra Leone, only the Attorney-General has the legal powers to extradite which he thoroughly elaborated on during the questions and answers session, which climaxed the two-hour-long lectures.

“These are invaluable lectures. I suggest an Interpol office is established at the Freetown-East Regional Police Headquarters”, pleaded the cool, measured, and unassuming LUC Kpulun of the Harbour Police Division.