U.S. PLANE DETAINED IN SIERRA LEONE AFTER ILLEGAL

S E C R E T FREETOWN 000327

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER)

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/20/2019
TAGS: ASEC CASC PGOV PREL PINR PBTS SNAR EG UK SL
SUBJECT: U.S. PLANE DETAINED IN SIERRA LEONE AFTER ILLEGAL
LANDING

Classified By: Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1.4 (b/d)


1. (S) At approximately 1800 GMT on August 19, a
U.S.-registered plane (N-748AA) illegally landed at Lungi
Airport. The airport crew told the aircraft, reportedly a
"Kruman 154," that they would have to identify an alternate
landing site, since they did not have a landing permit. The
plane eventually landed due to "technical difficulties," and
the two American crew members, three British passengers, and
three Egyptian passengers were detained. These individuals
are currently being brought to Freetown by Sierra Leonean
security personnel for questioning.


2. (S) The flight allegedly originated in Chad, and the group
had previously visited South Africa and Egypt. In preliminary
interviews, the passengers stated that they are interested in
exporting fish from Sierra Leone, and had obtained their
Sierra Leonean visas from the mission in Cairo. The party was
met at the airport by representatives of the Horseshoe
Fishing Company, which a high-level security contact told
Poloff is currently under surveillance by Sierra Leonean
intelligence. According to contact, the Minister of Marine
Resources, Haja Afsatu Kabba, called the Vice President to
request that the individuals be released. The Vice President
denied her request. Source told Poloff that the Minister had
made a trip to Egypt several months ago; when Poloff asked
how the trip had been paid for, source stated Sierra Leonean
intelligence is piecing together information about it now
(Note: The Minister had been the subject of corruption probes
during her recent tenure as the Minister of Energy Resources.
End Note).


3. (S) At the request of interlocutors, Embassy is working
with various USG entities to get further information on the
plane's registration and the U.S. crew. Consular officials
have been notified that these individuals have been detained
and may soon face charges.


4. (S) Comment: Sierra Leonean contacts are visibly uneasy
about the illegal landing, especially since the flight crew
ignored instructions to leave the country's airspace and
cited "technical difficulties" as the justification. If the
crew and passengers have a relationship with Minister Kabba,
they may have decided to take their chances with an illegal
landing in the hopes that she would smooth the waters after
the fact. Sources wondered why a group interested in fishing
would visit Chad, a land-locked country, and intimated that
fishing may not be their only interest in Sierra Leone -
narcotics trafficking continues to be a significant security
concern. Post will provide updated information soonest,
septel. End Comment.
PERRY