Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah
The Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, has dismissed as “100 percent fake” a document circulating on social media claiming to be an official communication from the European Parliament concerning Sierra Leone’s alleged role as a cocaine transit hub and safe haven for convicted criminals from the European Union.
Responding to public concerns on Tuesday June 9, 2026, Chernor Bah said the issue should not have required clarification but that he considered it necessary in the interest of promoting informed civic debate.
He explained that the European Parliament is made up of 720 members and that any individual member has the right to write a letter or issue a statement. However, he stressed that such correspondence does not become the official position of the Parliament unless it is formally tabled, debated and adopted through the institution’s established procedures.
“The European Parliament has 720 members. Anyone can write a letter or issue a statement. Until it is tabled, debated and resolved, it is not the position of the Parliament. It remains that member’s individual opinion or desire,” the Minister stated.
According to him, the document that has been widely circulated and described as a position of the European Parliament does not represent any official resolution, letter or threat from the institution. He said he had consulted official channels to verify how the European Parliament communicates its positions and confirmed that no such action had been taken against Sierra Leone.
“So yes, the letter circulated, cited and I was asked about as from the European Parliament was and is 100 percent fake,” he said.
The Minister urged the public not to lose sight of the broader relationship between Sierra Leone and the European Union, noting that the Government had held a productive public-private partnership engagement with the EU in Sierra Leone aimed at promoting investment and strengthening bilateral ties.
He acknowledged that both Sierra Leone and its international partners face challenges and have areas where improvements can be made but maintained that there has been no official action by the European Parliament against the country.
“We certainly have challenges and areas both sides could do better on. But no, the EU Parliament has not issued any letter, resolution or threat against Sierra Leone,” he emphasized.
The social media document in question, dated 5 June 2026 and purportedly addressed to the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, and the European Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Sikela, alleges that Sierra Leone serves as a logistical hub for cocaine destined for Europe and harbours European Union citizens evading prosecution.
The document further calls on the European Commission to use development funding and potential sanctions as leverage to encourage the extradition of suspected drug traffickers to EU member states and to strengthen measures against transnational organised crime.
The controversy follows recent international reports concerning a record cocaine seizure linked to a vessel that allegedly departed from West Africa, as well as ongoing discussions between Sierra Leone and its international partners on combating drug trafficking and transnational organised crime.
The Government has, however, insisted that the purported European Parliament letter does not constitute an official position of the institution and has urged the public to rely on verified information from credible sources.
