The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has suspended four officials, namely Alieu Badara Mansaray, Thomas Alfred Sengeh, Isatu Joelyn Jalloh and Shamit Aminata Tarawallie, following an internal investigation into the alleged misuse of official diplomatic documents in a September 2023 United States visa-processing exercise involving former Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Hon. Sidie Mohamed Tunis. The Ministry has also ordered the recall of two of the suspended officials from their overseas diplomatic postings in Algeria and Ireland.

In a Press Release dated 12 October 2026, the Ministry disclosed that its Investigative Committee had completed its work and submitted a report identifying weaknesses in administrative and consular procedures, document verification and authorization, supervisory oversight and institutional controls.

The Ministry said Management had reviewed the findings and approved immediate administrative measures, including the suspension of four officials whose roles were examined during the investigation. The findings and supporting evidence have also been referred to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for further investigation in accordance with its statutory mandate.

The suspended officials are Alieu Badara Mansaray, Head of Chancery at the Sierra Leone Embassy in Algeria and former Head of the Ministry’s Consular Unit; Thomas Alfred Sengeh, Acting Deputy Secretary; Isatu Joelyn Jalloh, Senior Assistant Secretary; and Shamit Aminata Tarawallie, Second Secretary at the Sierra Leone Embassy in Ireland.

The Ministry further directed the withdrawal of Alieu Badara Mansaray and Shamit Aminata Tarawallie from their respective diplomatic postings in Algeria and Ireland as part of the administrative measures arising from the investigation.

However, the Ministry emphasized that the suspensions should not be interpreted as findings of criminal wrongdoing or final determinations of individual responsibility. It maintained that any further disciplinary or legal action would depend on the outcome of the ACC investigation, applicable laws and decisions taken by the relevant authorities.

The latest development follows a controversy surrounding the alleged use of official diplomatic correspondence to facilitate a United States visa application for an individual reportedly presented as the Executive Assistant to Hon. Sidie Mohamed Tunis during his tenure as Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.

The matter reportedly dates back to September 2023, when a Note Verbale allegedly issued through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation was submitted to the United States Embassy in Freetown requesting visas for Hon. Tunis and another individual identified in media reports as Chapator Bah.

According to the allegations, the individual was presented in the diplomatic correspondence as the Executive Assistant to the then ECOWAS Parliament Speaker, a position Hon. Tunis subsequently denied the individual had ever occupied under his leadership.

A Note Verbale is an official form of diplomatic correspondence used by Governments and diplomatic missions to communicate on formal matters, including certain visa-related requests. Such documents carry institutional significance because they are issued through recognized Government channels.

Reports surrounding the controversy further alleged that the individual obtained a United States visa, travelled to America and subsequently failed to return to Sierra Leone. Those claims, however, have not been independently established and the complete findings of the Ministry’s internal investigation have not been made public.

The controversy came to public attention in September 2026 after Hon. Tunis reportedly attended a visa interview at the United States Embassy in Freetown on 3 September 2026.

During the interview, according to his account, a consular officer questioned him about an individual who had previously obtained a visa using official documentation identifying him as the former Speaker’s Executive Assistant.

Hon. Tunis reportedly explained that he had no knowledge of the individual and had never employed or authorized anyone by that name to serve as his Executive Assistant during his tenure at the ECOWAS Parliament.

He further claimed that the consular officer raised concerns about the individual’s alleged failure to return to Sierra Leone and indicated that the matter had implications for his own visa application. Hon. Tunis reportedly did not qualify for the visa he was seeking.

Concerned about the possible misuse of his name and former official position, Hon. Tunis subsequently submitted a formal complaint to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Mohamed Rahman Swaray, demanding an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the issuance and submission of the diplomatic correspondence.

In his complaint, the former ECOWAS Parliament Speaker reportedly requested clarification on who prepared the September 2023 Note Verbale, who authorized its issuance and how an individual unknown to him could have been presented to the United States Embassy as his Executive Assistant.

He also sought to establish whether the diplomatic document had been properly authenticated and whether established Ministry procedures had been followed in processing the visa request.

Hon. Tunis reportedly gave the Ministry seven working days to address his concerns, indicating that he could consider legal action to protect his reputation and professional integrity if the matter was not satisfactorily resolved.

Copies of his complaint were reportedly forwarded to senior Government and parliamentary authorities, including the Speaker of Parliament, the Secretary to the President and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice.

Responding to the complaint, the Ministry announced on 5 September 2026 the establishment of an internal Investigative Committee to examine the allegations and determine whether official diplomatic procedures had been violated.

The committee was mandated to review the circumstances surrounding the preparation and processing of the documents, examine relevant authorisation procedures and identify possible weaknesses in the Ministry’s administrative and consular systems.

Foreign Affairs Minister Mohamed Rahman Swaray subsequently disclosed during an official diplomatic engagement in October that the committee had completed its investigation and submitted its findings for consideration by the Ministry’s Management.

He indicated that appropriate administrative action would be taken against officials found to have breached established procedures, subject to the relevant institutional and legal processes.

The Ministry’s announcement on 12 October 2026 represents a significant development in the matter, with the suspension of four officials and the recall of two diplomats demonstrating that the internal investigation identified administrative concerns requiring further examination.

Beyond the disciplinary measures, the Ministry has also directed that a formal written apology be issued to Hon. Sidie Mohamed Tunis in recognition of procedural failures within its systems and any resulting prejudice he may have suffered.

The decision to issue an apology is particularly significant given Hon. Tunis’s earlier concerns that the alleged unauthorised use of his name and former position could damage his personal reputation and professional standing.