AMSTERDAM, Oct 1 (Reuters) – The European Commission has suspended its financial aid to Sierra Leone over the country’s refusal to arrest and hand over European cocaine kingpin Jos Leijdekkers, Dutch Justice Minister David van Weel said on Thursday.
• The decision to suspend €18 million ($20 million) in payments promised for this year is intended to pressure Sierra Leone to take action against Leijdekkers, who has found refuge and high-level protection in the West African country since at least 2023
• Dutch national Leijdekkers is a convicted cocaine smuggler and one of Europe’s most-wanted fugitives
• The Netherlands has demanded his extradition, but so far Sierra Leone has refused to cooperate
• Another €22.5 million promised for next year might also be suspended if the country continues its refusal to cooperate, Van Weel said
• The European Commission and the government of Sierra Leone did not immediately reply to requests for comment
• Leijdekkers was sentenced in absentia to 24 years in prison in the Netherlands for smuggling more than 7 metric tons of cocaine
• In Belgium he has been sentenced to a total of around 100 years in prison in various cases
($1 = 0.8846 euros)
(Reporting by Bart Meijer, addiitonal reporting by Ayen Deng Bior; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)
