Sierra Leone Defends Legal Process as Netherlands Presses for Leijdekkers Extradition
Information Minister Chernor Bah says Sierra Leone must follow its legal process before it can extradite a person wanted by another country.
Bah said the Netherlands has made multiple requests to Sierra Leone concerning the individual, but the country does not have an extradition agreement with the Netherlands.
He said an extradition request does not mean Sierra Leone can simply hand over the person. The individual, he explained, has rights and must be allowed to defend themselves through the legal process.
Bah said Sierra Leone must first locate the person sought. He said the police have a role in identifying and finding the individual before the extradition process can begin.
Once the person is located, Bah said, authorities must follow the procedures set out under Sierra Leone’s Extradition Act.
He described extradition as a lengthy and complex judicial process rather than a decision that can be made solely by the government.
Bah said Sierra Leone has engaged with the Netherlands and other international partners on the matter and remains prepared to cooperate.
However, he said the government cannot bypass its laws simply because another country has requested the surrender of an individual.
Bah also said Sierra Leone should not treat a person as a criminal before the country has located and brought that person into the relevant legal process.
He stressed that the issue is not about refusing to cooperate with the Netherlands but about ensuring that any action taken complies with Sierra Leonean law and respects the rights of the person concerned.
He said the government therefore must first allow the police to carry out their part of the process before the formal extradition proceedings can begin.