In a shocking development, Sierra Leone’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has apprehended four junior police officers over allegations of participating in a bribery scandal.
Astonishingly, their higher-ups implicated in the same incident are reportedly evading arrest.
According to the Standard Times Newspaper, sources close to the investigation revealed that a Nigerian national was recently detained by a police team led by Commissioner of Police Joseph Lahai, Director of Crime Services.
During the arrest, the Nigerian allegedly offered a staggering $21,000 to the arresting officers in exchange for his release—an offer they purportedly accepted.
The corruption web deepened as the Nigerian reportedly initiated a $20,000 mobile transfer to a specific bureau operated by a fellow Nigerian. However, the bureau could only provide $15,000, allegedly collected by an officer identified as Alpha, stationed at the INTERPOL Headquarters.
The convoluted chain of bribery allegedly extended upwards, accusing Superintendent Mohamed Sidibay, supposedly heading INTERPOL, of receiving the money from Alpha and forwarding it to Commissioner Lahai. Allegations suggest that Lahai, as the team leader, allegedly distributed the illicit gains, with each junior officer receiving $2,500, while Lahai pocketed the remaining $5,000, supposedly to be reimbursed later by the forex bureau through an office aide named Sah.
Despite the involvement of senior officers, including Lahai and Sidibay, in this bribery scheme, no action has reportedly been taken against them, raising concerns about the fairness of the ongoing probe conducted by the Police Complaint, Discipline, and Internal Investigations Department (CDIID).
The latest updates reveal partial compliance with producing the alleged bribe money, notably with Sidibay contributing $5,000. However, the junior officers remain in custody, while Lahai and his deputy purportedly remain at large, avoiding legal consequences.
As investigations unfold, the situation sheds light on a troubling scandal within the Sierra Leonean police force.1
