By Kelvin Jay
Sophie Van Leeuwen, a Dutch journalist who was arrested for espionage by the SierraLeone Police has revealed to RTL news that she was arrested while enroute to a location where Jos Leijdekkers, the most wanted drug trafficker was reportedly hiding.
The Dutch Journalist detailed her encounter in SierraLeone ranging from her arrest, interrogation, and eventual release, which she described as a harrowing experience.
Van Leeuwen who was accompanied by a local Journalist, Joseph Turay, said: “I was on my way where Jos Leijdekkers-according to my sources, was. There, I drove into a roadblock. The police saw my Dutch passport, and I was immediately arrested. They confiscated everything including my passport, phone, camera and I heard them saying, ‘we’ve got her’.
I was then escorted through Freetown in a truck full of armed men to the police station”, she said, adding that she was interrogated for approximately 15 hours by senior police officers, who accused her of being ‘danger to national security’ and suspected her of espionage. “I was put under a lot of pressure. And it was not a pleasant experience, though I was not physically abused”, she added.
The Unit questioning her is responsible for investigating drug related crimes in Sierraleone, she further explained.
When Van Leewuen was arrested, the SierraLeone Association swiftly intervened to know what is the problem and then issued out a Press release, thereby calling for the release of the detained foreign Journalist.
Following her release, Van Leeuwen was escorted to the Freetown International Airport by her Lawyer, Charles Abass Bangura, and left the country on Tuesday evening. Her passport, phone and camera were retuned to her through her lawyer, but Van Leeuwen told RTL News that they had erased all the images in her working gadgets.
The arrest of Van Leeuwen has drawn attention of Jos Leijdekkers alleged presence in SierraLeone. Jos Leijdekkers, a 33 years old Drug Baron and Fugitive had been sentenced by the Rotterdam Court for 24 years in absentia for smuggling tonnes of cocaine in their country.
The convicted Drug Baron had reportedly escaped Netherland and settled in Turkey later left and reside in SierraLeone, report states. Video footages show the Drug lord attending a Church Service with President Julius Maada Bio and his family on New Year’s Eve. Report also suggests that the President favourite daughter, Agnes Bio, has in love relationship with Jos Leijdekkers.
After the release of the Dutch Journalist, ACP Alieu Jalloh, the Head of the Criminal Investigation Department claimed that in their investigation the police found “a lot of inconsistencies and deception” in Van Leewuen statements, further stating that her release was a government decision.
The Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, affirmed that the police were merely performing their duties in the arrest of Sophie Van Leeuwen. He confirmed her release and wishes her a benefitting welcome at any time she comes into SierraLeone.
