Foreign Ministry Investigates US Visa Fraud Allegations
- Grace Bangura
- 20 hours ago
- 2 min read
Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched an urgent investigation into diplomatic fraud after official channels were used to secure a United States visa under former ECOWAS Speaker Sidie Mohamed Tunis’s name.
The probe was confirmed on September 5, 2026, following a formal complaint by Tunis after a disclosure during his visa interview.
To tackle the crisis head-on, the Foreign Ministry has assembled a special investigative committee.
The panel is tasked with swiftly reviewing sensitive diplomatic records, pinpointing procedural lapses, and uncovering how unauthorized correspondence may have bypassed official safeguards.
Beyond the immediate scandal, the committee is conducting a comprehensive audit of all protocols governing how official letters and visa requests are drafted, vetted, and transmitted.
The controversy erupted after Tunis attended a visa appointment at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown on September 3. Expecting a standard procedure, the former Speaker was instead confronted by consular officers regarding an unfamiliar individual named Chapator Bah.
Directly following the incident, Tunis dispatched a formal letter to the Foreign Ministry demanding a full-scale inquiry into the origin of the rogue request.
His complaint calls for total transparency: identifying who drafted the fraudulent papers, who forged or misappropriated his authorization, and who cleared the request for processing.
At the heart of the probe is a 2023 Note Verbale—a formal, highly sensitive diplomatic instrument—allegedly exploited to facilitate Bah's entry into the United States under false pretenses.
Expressing deep dismay over the breach, Tunis warned of the broader fallout from such institutional vulnerability.
He condemned the affair as a major national embarrassment that tarnishes the reputation of Sierra Leone and the wider West African region.
Records presented to Tunis indicated that in 2023, an official visa application was filed listing Bah as his "Executive Assistant" during his leadership of the ECOWAS Parliament.
A shocked Tunis categorically denied any connection to Bah, asserting that no such aide ever existed on his staff.
“I have never employed anyone for that role” Tunis stated forcefully.
While acknowledging the gravity of the accusations, the Foreign Ministry cautioned against premature conclusions, emphasizing that the inquiry will strictly adhere to facts and due process.
“Any unauthorized use or breach of procedures, if confirmed, will be dealt with through appropriate administrative or legal action,” the Ministry warned in its statement.
Ministry officials assured the public that the investigation would be swift, thorough, and uncompromised.
The government reiterated its commitment to upholding "the highest standards of integrity, accountability, and institutional responsibility."
Adding fuel to the controversy are references in the formal complints from Speaker Tunis, suggesting that Chapator Bah successfully obtained the U.S. visa and subsequently absconded after arriving in the United States.
When questioned, representatives at the U.S. Embassy in Freetown declined to comment, citing strict privacy policies regarding individual visa records.
As the inquiry unfolds, all eyes remain on the Foreign Ministry to uncover the full extent of the diplomatic breach and hold accountable those responsible for manipulating official state channels.
Comments