Key facts
- The European Commission suspended €18 million in financial aid to Sierra Leone.
- The suspension is due to Sierra Leone's refusal to arrest and extradite Jos Leijdekkers.
- Leijdekkers is a convicted Dutch cocaine smuggler sentenced to prison in the Netherlands and Belgium.
- He has reportedly found refuge and high-level protection in Sierra Leone since at least 2023.
- Another €22.5 million in aid for next year may also be suspended.
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.
Leijdekkers is a convicted cocaine smuggler and one of Europe's most-wanted fugitives. The Netherlands has demanded his extradition, but 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.
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.