Jos Leijdekkers (33) the most wanted criminal in the Netherlands, is hiding in Sierra Leone, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service has confirmed, following an investigation by the Follow the Money organisation and Algemeen Dagblad newspaper.
Leijdekker, also known by his nickname 'Bolle Jos,' has been spotted with the President of Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, in official footage, according to the investigation.
Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, a failed 2018 presidential candidate, claims that Leijdekkers bribes high-ranking officials and is in a relationship with the president’s daughter.
Footage from a New Year’s Mass in Maada Bio’s hometown shows Leijdekkers sitting two rows behind the president, next to his daughter. Pictures of the event have also been published, bearing the official seal of the President of Sierra Leone.
“We are doing everything we can to bring him back to the Netherlands,” the Dutch Public Prosecution Service said.
Last year, Leijdekkers was sentenced to 24 years in prison in his home country for large-scale drug trafficking.
This week, a case continued in Antwerp regarding the attempted theft of ten tonnes of cocaine at the Antwerp customs office, for which Bolle Jos is believed to be the mastermind.
