A shadowy property deal in late 2023 has exposed the disturbing ease with which Sierra Leone has become a playground for international fugitives and their local collaborators. At the center of the scandal are Dutch drug fugitive, Leijdekkers — wanted across Europe — and Lebanese businessman, Hassan Salman, a prominent Freetown car dealer accused of acting as his local enabler.
Investigations by The Watch Newspaper reveal that Salman allegedly fronted the purchase of Two Seasons Resort, a secluded luxury property in Tokeh, about 20 miles from Freetown. Although the resort was officially sold by businessman Rami El Zein, multiple sources insist Salman merely served as a financial conduit, enabling Leijdekkers to secretly acquire the multimillion-dollar property.
Following the sale, lavish renovations at the resort sparked further suspicion about the source of Salman’s sudden and unexplained wealth. El Zein confirmed selling the resort to Salman but evaded questions linking the deal to Leijdekkers. Several insiders, however, allege that Salman’s financial muscle helped secure a safe haven for the fugitive on Sierra Leonean soil.
Once settled in Tokeh, Leijdekkers reportedly crafted a philanthropic image to blend in. “He sent many bags of rice, gallons of cooking oil, and onions,” an insider disclosed. “But that generosity was just a cover-up — ministers visited him almost daily. Do you know how much money he handed them when they came?”
In Freetown, Leijdekkers maintained a private compound near Lumley Beach Road, where photographs show him strolling casually in sandals and a rain jacket — all while quietly building a network of influence and protection.
The partnership between Salman, who allegedly provided the financial front, and Leijdekkers, who bought political favor with cash and gifts, exposes a disturbing pattern of complicity and corruption. It raises urgent questions:
How did a wanted European fugitive openly establish himself in Sierra Leone — with government connections and luxury assets — without any intervention from the authorities?
This scandal underscores not only the audacity of international criminals but also the alarming vulnerability of Sierra Leone’s institutions to manipulation by those with money and influence.
Efforts by The Watch Newspaper to obtain a response from Hassan Salman through multiple messages went unanswered.
