Dutch justice minister to press Sierra Leone on extradition of fugitive "Bolle Jos"

Dutch Justice Minister Foort van Oosten is preparing to visit West Africa to urge Sierra Leone and nearby countries to assist in the extradition of Jos Leijdekkers. The Netherlands has so far received no reply to its request to hand over the fugitive drug criminal, better known as Bolle Jos.

The caretaker minister insists, “This man belongs behind bars,” and intends to focus on this issue during his upcoming visit to the region. Broader efforts to combat drug-related crime will also be discussed. The exact date of the trip has not been set.

The minister’s latest information indicates that Bolle Jos remains in Sierra Leone. It was confirmed in January that the fugitive was in the country. Last month, the nation’s opposition leader claimed that Leijdekkers fathered a child with the daughter of President Julius Maada Bio and is reportedly being shielded by the president and his family.

This seemed to be backed up by video footage of Leijdekkers celebrating with high-ranking government officials in March. There have also been reports of journalists being silenced by the Sierra Leone government when trying to report on Leijdekkers. The former justice minister, David van Weel, who is now Minister of Foreign Affairs, spoke to the justice minister in Sierra Leone regarding the case in March.

Sierra Leone has stated that the nation will only carry out the extradition after a court decision and that no extradition treaty exists between the two countries. Dutch authorities and the police in Sierra Leone are collaborating, with Sierra Leone’s authorities expressing readiness to cooperate with both the Dutch police and international agencies.

Leijdekkers has been sentenced to 24 years in prison in the Netherlands, and 13 years in Belgium.