SL PRESIDENT SAYS THIS IS RIGHT TIME TO NAB GK

C O N F I D E N T I A L FREETOWN 000065 SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF/W (JHUNTER/ESPRUILL) EMBASSY CONAKRY FOR FRONT OFFICE (KBROKENSHIRE) EMBASSY BRUSSELS FOR DEA (TSCARANTINO) CONSULATE LAGOS FOR DEA (SGAYE) DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE FOR DEA/OS/OSE (MCMANAMON/LENARTOWICZ) DOJ ALSO FOR DEA/SOD/NTG (LMILIONE/DMALTZ/JSOILES) E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/27/2019 TAGS: PGOV PREL SNAR KCRM SL SUBJECT: SL PRESIDENT SAYS THIS IS RIGHT TIME TO NAB GK Classified By: Ambassador June Carter Perry for reasons 1.4 (b/d) ¶1. (C) On February 27, Ambassador met with President Ernest Bai Koroma to discuss pending bilateral issues and relay the new administration's domestic and foreign policy priorities. She was accompanied by DCM and Poloff, and Koroma by Foreign Minister Zainab Bangura. Key bilateral and multilateral issues were substantively covered in the meeting (septel). One of the most interesting comments from the President related to Sierra Leonean narcotics fugitive Gibrilla Kamara (GK),who is reportedly hiding in a West African country. Koroma stated that the recent developments in Guinea are very promising, especially Ousmane Conte's recent arrest on narcotics charges. Conte is a close associate and alleged protector of GK, and the President believes that Conte's arrest might provide an opportunity to arrest GK. ¶2. (C) The President's comments demonstrate his continued interest in bringing GK to justice, which is likely related to a desire to seize GK's many Sierra Leonean assets. Without Conte's protection, GK is vulnerable to arrest. He stated that GK will be "useful" to many countries, and invited the U.S. to go after GK as quickly as possible. Koroma also invited the U.S. to begin indicting Sierra Leoneans involved in narcotrafficking beyond GK, such as Ahmed Sesay and others. ¶3. (C) Embassy will work with DEA towards an expeditious indictment of GK and others, as appropriate. PERRY