The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) has contributed US$425,000 to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to support efforts to combat organized crime in Sierra Leone, the U.S. Embassy in Freetown said in statement on Friday.
In the statement the Embassy said that the United States values its relationship with Sierra Leone and enjoys a close partnership with UNODC, and has provided the contribution to UNODC to reinforce the effectiveness of the Transnational Organized Crime Unit (TOCU) in Sierra Leone and also strengthen its Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy (SILEA).
The US Embassy expressed the view that the initiative will promote intelligence-led policing and investigations, banning and seizures of illicit drugs, and prosecution of transnational organized crime cases. They further said that it will create and institutionalized and professional law enforcement curriculum at SILEA (Sierra Leone Peacekeeping and Law Enforcement Academy) which integrates respect for human rights and the rule of law. According to the statement put out by the United Sates Embassy in Sierra Leone INL funded the project through appropriations made by Congress to the U.S. Department of State which support efforts to combat organized crime and drug trafficking worldwide. These funds will help the government of Sierra Leone in building up the capacity to investigate and prosecute transnational organized criminal groups.
By Sallieu S. Kanu
27/07/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7874