Sophie van Leeuwen, journalist and Africa correspondent from RTL Nieuws, was arrested in Sierra Leone on Thursday. Van Leeuwen is in the country to make stories about the Breda drug criminal Jos Leijdekkers, also known as Bolle Jos.
The journalist was arrested on Thursday at a checkpoint near the capital Freetown, RTL Nieuws reports. She would be suspected of the unlawful capture of image. Van Leeuwen visited another press conference from the Ministry of Information in the country on Wednesday.
“We understand that she is being interrogated by the CID. Her things have been searched,” said RTL editor-in-chief Ilse Oppenneer in a statement. Van Leeuwen worked according to the news organization with the right accreditation and with the permission of the local authorities.
Released
A lawyer was at Van Leeuwen. On Thursday evening she was released again. In anticipation of further interrogation, the journalist may not leave the country yet. “We are happy to make up for it,” reports editor -in -chief Oppenneer.
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The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is also aware of the incident with the Africa correspondent and provides assistance. The spokesperson cannot say anything about what that assistance entails.
“The president and his government are merciless,” opposition leader Mohamed K Mansaray told Omroep Brabant. “They do everything and go far to protect Jos Leijdekkers.”
Mansaray had contact with Van Leeuwen before she traveled to the country. “She wanted to know for sure that she did everything according to the book,” he says. According to Mansaray, Van Leeuwen wanted to take a look at the village of Tokeh this Thursday, near a resort where Leijdekkers is probably hiding. “They recently set up a checkpoint in the neighborhood, there she was arrested and taken to the CID.”
Also read: Nothing that of Boke Hunt on Bolle Jos, says opposition leader: ‘They lie’
Possible espionage
The Sierra Leoonse journalist organization SLAJ says that it is not often the case that journalists in the country are arrested in this way. According to chairman of the organization, Ahmed Sahid Nasralla, the police would have announced that Van Leeuwen is suspected of possible espionage.
The Ministry of Information from the country, on the other hand, would have announced that she had the right accreditation.
Extradition request
Last January it turned out that Jos Leijdekkers was hiding in Sierra Leone. On images of a New Year’s Mass, the Breda drug criminal and the daughter of the president of the country could be seen. In the meantime, the Ministry of Justice and Security have submitted an extradition request to the authorities of Sierra Leone.
Bolle Jos is seen as the greatest drug criminal in our country and is on the national investigation list, among other things. Leijdekkers has been convicted in the Netherlands for 24 years in prison for international cocaine trade and for giving a murder assignment.
View the crime explained below about Bolle Jos:
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Also read: Drug lane Bolle Jos is hiding in Sierra Leone