Foreign Minister Says No Evidence of Sierra Leonean Passports in Turkish Drug Arrests

Foreign Minister Says No Evidence of Sierra Leonean Passports in Turkish Drug Arrests

Sierra Leone’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Alhaji Timothy Musa Kabba, has stated that there is no evidence or diplomatic note confirming that individuals arrested in Turkey for drug-related offenses hold Sierra Leonean diplomatic or ordinary passports.

Speaking in an online media interview, Minister Kabba said any claim must be formally brought to his attention for verification.

He explained that those arrested were not identified as Sierra Leoneans, and if they had been, the Turkish government would have submitted a formal request to Sierra Leone. Kabba added that neither Turkey nor the United Arab Emirates has formally notified Sierra Leone that any of the arrested individuals were carrying Sierra Leonean passports.

Referring to the matter’s sensitivity under the United Nations Convention on Transnational Organized Crime, Kabba said the government cannot accept such reports as verified without proper documentation.

He further noted that if diplomatic passports were involved, they would have serial numbers and issue dates, allowing the government to trace when and where the documents were issued.