By Mabinty M. Kamara
The Government of Sierra Leone is investigating an alleged injustice of a Korean businessman in Sierra Leone, leading to his alleged suicide, according to an alleged suicide note that went viral on social media after his death.
Kim Sung Nyeon in his letter dated 2nd July 2021 alleged that his business has gone through several victimizations in the hands of some ‘self-interest-seeking officials’ at the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources (MFMR) in Sierra Leone.
In the letter, he highlighted instances in which he felt unjustly treated by the ministry. One of such, the letter noted is the detention of three of his ships by the ministry for nine months on the premise of investigating an illegal fishing activity but later released them for lack of evidence. However, the letter noted that no apology was done in that regard.
“Also, two ships were stolen when they were detained in MFMR. MFMR also avoided responsibility for the stolen vessels when both were detained and there were no apologies. And MFMR fined the vessels $4.2 million without proof, despite the fact that the ship cost $200,000. Our vessel has been detained for four months without evidence,” the letter reads.
He therefore discouraged other investors in the fishing sector not to invest in the country’s fishing industry because of his experience.
It is on this note that the government of Sierra Leone in a statement announced that it has launched an investigation into the said allegations. “Government attention has been drawn to published allegations of unfairness, injustice, and corruption among the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources officials in the wake of the sad demise of a Republic of Korean national Kim Sung Nyeon who was resident in Sierra Leone,” the statement reads.
It added: “We express heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased and to the friendly government and people of the Republic of Korea. A comprehensive administrative inquiry will fully investigate all the issues and circumstances around this unfortunate event,” it reads.
In the statement, the government noted that the fisheries sector is critical for economic diversification, food security, and international trade and investment “Government therefore remains fully committed to providing an open, fair, and transparent investment ecosystem through enhanced governance of the sector.”
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