The European Commission has immediately halted payments to Sierra Leone because of the country's harbouring of the fugitive Dutch drug kingpin Jos Leijdekkers, known as Bolle Jos.
The Dutch government lobbied for the decision because of the West African country's refusal to co-operate with efforts to extradite the Netherlands’ most wanted criminal, Dutch media reported on Thursday. The decision could cost Sierra Leone €18 million in budget support.
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The Netherlands also hopes to stop a further payment of €20.5 million next year.
The European Parliament wants the EU to strike stronger agreements with countries outside the bloc to stop convicted drug traffickers from evading their sentences.
According to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad, the EU Parliament is calling for a closer judicial co-operation with third countries, including states in West Africa.
Parliament has already adopted a resolution to this effect, naming Leijdekkers directly.
The drug trafficker from Breda is believed to be hiding in Sierra Leone, and has been sentenced in Belgium and the Netherlands to combined prison terms of more than 100 years.
“I am very pleased with this step,” Van Weel told De Telegraaf. “It is bitter that EU money is going to a country that does not want to co-operate in the extradition of someone like Bolle Jos.”
