Author: gleanernewspaper

Belgian prosecutors seek up to 20-year prison terms for leaders of four criminal organisations accused of importing at least 25 tonnes of cocaine through Antwerp’s port in the “Costa case.” The trial of 51 defendants, including former law enforcement officers, prominent members of the Bandidos Benelux motorcycle club, and Dutch trafficker Jos Leijdekkers, aims to uncover a large-scale smuggling and money-laundering network. Prosecutors have proposed individual penalties for the ringleaders and key operatives, including 20 years in prison for Geert Frisson, 18 years for Tom Bastiaanse, and 15 years for Jos Leijdekkers, with a variety of other prison terms requested for…

The National Revenue Authority (NRA), in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), has inaugurated new Block Management System (BMS) offices in the Western Area at Jui Junction. The launch, led by NRA Commissioner General Mrs Jeneba J. Bangura and UNDP officials, is a significant milestone in a three-year partnership to improve service delivery and outreach.Mrs Bangura reflected on several tangible outcomes of the collaboration, including UNDP support for the NRA’s vehicle procurement system and the upcoming delivery of a water bowser. She stated that the new containerised BMS units will bring taxpayer services and education closer to communities,…

Sierra Leone has made a significant step toward improving care for people suffering from chronic kidney disease (CKD) after Health Minister Dr Austin Demby received 15 new dialysis machines, including reverse osmosis (RO) water purification systems, at the 34 Military Hospital in Freetown. His Excellency Baisnab Charan Pradhan, the Indian High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, presented the life-saving equipment, which will help to strengthen the country’s limited renal care capacity.CKD remains a major public health challenge in Sierra Leone, with prevalence rates exceeding 30% among hypertensive people, particularly in rural areas. Uncontrolled diabetes, sepsis, and high blood pressure are among…

New Delhi, March — According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India sent 1,000 metric tonnes of rice to Sierra Leone on Tuesday in support of the West African country’s school lunch program. In a post on X, the MEA stated that the shipment highlights India’s efforts to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the UN and strengthen cooperation throughout the Global South. “Global South collaboration in action! According to MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, “India has sent 1,000 metric tonnes of rice today to support Sierra Leone’s school midday meal scheme.” The shipment is intended to strengthen a program…

Hon. Dr Isata Mahoi, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, used a prominent platform at the 70th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW70) in New York to make a compelling case for education as the foundation of justice, equality, and empowerment for women and girls. Dr Mahoi addressed global partners and delegates at a side event hosted by Ireland’s Permanent Mission on March 11, 2026, arguing that when girls are educated, they gain the knowledge, confidence, and voice needed to claim their rights, confront injustice, and actively shape the future of their communities.Dr Mahoi…

The Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary Community Outreach Department concluded two days of Environmental Days for pupils enrolled in the Tacugama Kids Environmental Education Programme (TKEEP) on 18th and 22nd March 2026. The events brought together primary school children from communities surrounding Tacugama to celebrate environmental learning, test their knowledge and creativity, and spotlight the chimpanzee as Sierra Leone’s newly designated national animal.One of the Environmental Days was hosted at the Regent Community Centre and welcomed pupils from the Rural Education Committee Primary School at Regent, Church of Christ Primary, Mountain Rural, Saio Primary and Logus Academy. The second day featured students…

March, 2026, all ten Paramount Chiefs of Koinadugu District demonstrated unity and commitment to public integrity by attending a high-level engagement with the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) at the District Council Hall. The meeting was part of ACC People’s Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala’s ongoing “Meet the People Tour,” which aims to enlist traditional authorities as frontline partners in Sierra Leone’s national anti-corruption campaign.Commissioner Kaifala used the occasion to make an impassioned plea to chiefs to “sow, nurture, and guard the seeds of integrity and patriotism” in their chiefdoms. He emphasised that Paramount Chiefs wield unparalleled power in local governance and community…

The Sunday Foundation (SF), a humanitarian organisation based in the Netherlands, has opened the Sunday Foundation School of Health Sciences (SFCHS) in Makeni, providing free tuition and uniforms to enrolled students. The opening of the cutting-edge college in Maboleh, three miles from Makeni in Shebora Chiefdom, Bombali District, has been widely praised by students, community leaders, and education stakeholders, who see the initiative as a significant contribution to Sierra Leone’s human capital development.The new institution, located on a five-acre site, is intended to provide students with modern facilities and hands-on training in a variety of health and community-related disciplines. The…

Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay ……………………..Convicted Drug Trafficker Jos “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers. According to AD and Follow the Money’s reconstruction of events, the Netherlands has quietly escalated an international diplomatic campaign to pressure Sierra Leone for the extradition of convicted drug trafficker Jos “Bolle Jos” Leijdekkers. What started as a routine legal request has turned into a long-running, high-stakes diplomatic operation that reveals the limits of formal cooperation with Freetown—as well as the broader geopolitical tensions that complicate efforts to bring a major cocaine kingpin to justice. Leijdekkers, a Dutch national linked to large-scale cocaine shipments to Europe, is said to…

March 2026 — As part of Pillar One of the government’s “Feed Salone” agenda, Chief Minister Dr David Moinina Sengeh convened a strategic inter-ministerial meeting aimed at rapidly increasing local rice production and directing that supply into institutional feeding programs. Dr Sengeh described the talks as “very successful,” saying he briefed His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio on the results and tasked agencies with concrete follow-up actions.The meeting looked at practical ways to incorporate locally produced rice into public institution food supply chains, with a particular emphasis on the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces and the Sierra Leone Correctional…