Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has opened an investigation into the alleged misuse of official government documents in connection with a visa application.
An internal committee has been established to urgently investigate the matter, review relevant documentation and procedures, establish the facts and make recommendations.
The investigation will also examine how official correspondence, including visa-related requests, is prepared, authorised and transmitted.
Appropriate administrative or legal action will follow if the investigation establishes that official documents were used without authorisation or that established procedures were breached.
The investigation follows concerns raised by former ECOWAS Parliament Speaker Sidie Mohamed Tunis over documents allegedly used in connection with a United States visa application.
Mr. Tunis was questioned during a visa interview at the US Embassy in Freetown on 3 September about a man identified as Chapator Bah, who allegedly obtained a US visa using the designation “Executive Assistant to the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.”
Mr. Tunis has denied knowing, employing or appointing Mr. Bah and questioned how official Sierra Leonean correspondence could have been used in support of the visa application.
A 2023 Note Verbale, a formal diplomatic communication, is alleged to have been used in connection with the application. Questions have been raised over its origin, preparation and authorisation.
The matter has been described in some reports as a possible visa-fraud case, but no fraud has been established.
The investigation is expected to determine whether official documentation was improperly used and whether any ministry procedures were breached.
The case has also raised wider questions about the handling and security of official diplomatic correspondence, particularly documents used to support visa applications.
Further action will depend on the findings of the internal investigation.
