Freetown, 4th September 2026- Former Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, Rt. Honourable Sidie Mohamed Tunis, has formally requested the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation to investigate what he describes as a serious and embarrassing visa‑related incident involving an individual falsely linked to him.
In a letter dated September 3, 2026, Mr Tunis said he was informed during a U.S. visa interview at the American Embassy in Freetown that a man named Chapator Bah had previously been issued a U.S. visa in 2023 under the designation “Executive Assistant to the Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.” The consular officer reportedly suggested that Bah travelled to the United States and never returned, a situation that allegedly affected Mr Tunis’s own visa application.
Calling the allegation “an embarrassment not only to me as a person, but to the state of Sierra Leone and the entire West African sub‑region,” Mr Tunis categorically denied ever employing or knowing anyone by that name. He insisted that no such person served as his executive assistant during his tenure as ECOWAS Speaker.
The former Speaker urged the Ministry to launch an immediate investigation into the origin of the note verbale purportedly issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that facilitated Bah’s visa. He warned that if the matter remains unresolved within seven working days, he would pursue legal action “to insulate myself from the allegation.”
Copies of the letter were sent to the Speaker of Parliament, the Secretary to the President, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, the Leaders of Government Business and Opposition, and Sierra Leone’s Ambassador to the United States.
The incident has raised concerns about possible misuse of official diplomatic correspondence and the reputational implications for Sierra Leone’s foreign service.
