Josef Skrdlik

When a Dutch Drug Kingpin Needed a New Base, Sierra Leone Welcomed Him With Open Arms Jos Leijdekkers, one of Europe’s most wanted men, quietly insinuated himself into the lives and businesses of the country’s elite

The piece, shedding new light on how Leijdekkers found himself in Sierra Leone and how he has operated there, can be read here:

My deep dive, with Oliver Dunn for @newlinesmag.bsky.social, into how Jos Leijdekkers inserted himself into Sierra Leone’s elite – and quietly rebuilt his cocaine trafficking empire.

“Having successfully waited out the scandal, the administration has no incentive to act.”

When a Dutch Drug Kingpin Needed a New Base, Sierra Leone Welcomed Him With Open Arms Jos Leijdekkers, one of Europe’s most wanted men, quietly insinuated himself into the lives and businesses of the country’s elite

NEW: When the Dutch drug kingpin “Chubby” Jos Leijdekkers fled authorities in Europe, he landed in Freetown, Sierra Leone, where he rebuilt his empire alongside the country’s ruling family, report Oliver Dunn & @josefskrdlik.bsky.social for @newlinesmag.bsky.social.

newlinesmag.com/reportage/wh...

Aziz falls – while his closest ally thrives Jailed for corruption, the ex-president has lost his battle with his former right-hand man and the political elite continues to consolidate power

My new piece, together with Oliver Dunn, for @africa-confidential.com, analysing recent developments in Mauritania’s political economy. We explore how the fall of former President Abdel Aziz affected political alliances, and examine Mauritania’s growing pragmatic partnership with the EU.

And:

Eid al-Adha celebrations in Mauritania:

Sierra Leone First Lady Dodges Questions on Gambia Properties Fatima Bio also falsely accused OCCRP of giving her a 24-hour deadline to respond to queries, when in fact she was asked to answer reporters’ questions within nine days.

“The first lady drew a baseless link in her video between OCCRP’s investigation and her dispute with Koidu Limited, a company operating Sierra Leone’s largest diamond mine.”

The OCCRP exposé in Sierra Leonean newspapers:

Jabbe-Bio has been outspoken against child marriage and sexual violence.

Her activism has led to invitations to speak at prominent western universities and international forums, including Harvard and the UN General Assembly.

She was named 2024’s “First Lady of the Year”.

Meanwhile, the waiting list for London’s social housing is at its longest in a decade. As of April last year, 336,366 eligible households remain in the lurch.

Jabbe-Bio has not replied to a request for comment.

After Sierra Leone's President Took Office, His Wife and Her Family Went Real Estate Shopping Since Julius Maada Bio became Sierra Leone’s president in April 2018, his wife Fatima Bio and her close relatives have scooped up luxury properties in Gambia.

The reason for her tenancy is unclear – Jabbe-Bio resides in Sierra Leone’s luxurious presidential lodge.

She also owns an extensive property portfolio in The Gambia, my investigation published with OCCRP revealed.

Jabbe-Bio was registered to vote at the address several times since 2009 and still receives post there. The council confirmed the flat has had the same tenant since 2007.

A neighbour said she visited the property last year accompanied by an official delegation.

Sierra Leone’s first lady rents a council flat in south London As 336,000 households wait for accommodation in the capital, Fatima Jabbe-Bio retains tenancy of her old home in Southwark while living in a Freetown mansion

A modest block of social housing in south London has an unlikely tenant – the first lady of Sierra Leone.

Our story for The Times revealed how Fatima Jabbe-Bio continues to rent her council flat seven years into her husband’s presidency.

Sierra Leone’s first lady rents a council flat in south London As 336,000 households wait for accommodation in the capital, Fatima Jabbe-Bio retains tenancy of her old home in Southwark while living in a Freetown mansion

My other story, with Oliver Dunn for The Times, reveals the first lady continues to rent her London council flat – despite living in the luxury of the presidential lodge in Freetown.

Meanwhile, London’s social housing waiting list has hit a 10-year high.
www.thetimes.com/uk/london/ar...

Three of the properties were bought with the help of Alphonso King, a top government contractor in Freetown.

King signed key paperwork and also paid stamp duty on a villa bought by Jabbe-Bio’s mother.

He is frequently seen alongside the first lady in official settings.

The money spent was just over $2.1 million, excluding construction costs, but some of the purchase prices appear heavily understated.

This villa, for example, sold in 2024 for less than the empty plot of land it sits on did in 2012.

Before coming to power, the presidential couple lived a modest life in social housing in south London.

They haven’t answered questions about the source of the funds used for the property acquisitions.

From 2020 to 2024, the first lady, her elderly mother and half-brothers bought at least 10 properties, including villas, luxury apartments and a four-storey apartment building.

One of the half-brothers is also constructing a 70-bedroom hotel.

Since Julius Maada Bio became Sierra Leone’s president in April 2018, his wife and her family have scooped up luxury properties in The Gambia – with funds of unexplained origin.

My investigation for OCCRP exposes Fatima Jabbe-Bio’s real estate portfolio.

www.occrp.org/en/investiga...

A new story I worked on with The Republic, exposing corruption and mismanagement at Gambia’s state-owned printer, GPPC.

Reintegration or return to despair? How IOM in Gambia fails ‘backway’ returnees In the last decade, irregular migration, locally called ‘backway’, has led tens of thousands of young Gambians to leave the country for Europe, either in

Mustapha K Darboe and I reveal how EU funds paid to IOM in The Gambia for returnee migrant reintegration fail to make any meaningful impact.

The scheme has been turned into a cash cow for IOM-designated suppliers.

Our new story for The Republic 👇

The story also uncovers the daughter’s exposure to the UN Security Council in New York and expensive property purchases in the US by Bolle Jos's alleged right-hand man. @africa-confidential.com

President Bio keeps cocaine lord in the family One of Europe’s most wanted criminals is the partner of one of the President’s daughters and has transferred his operations to Freetown. An Africa Confidential Special Report By Josef Skrdlik and Andr...

One of Europe’s most wanted, Dutch cocaine kingpin Jos Leijdekkers, lived undisturbed in Sierra Leone for two years – and even began a relationship with the president’s daughter.

We investigate how he appeared in the country under a fake identity and embedded himself in local power structures.