The News Review:

- S. Leone Envoy’s Home Burgled
- Koidu Holdings Vows to Continue Investment in S. Leone Despite…
- The Sun News On-line | Business news

S. Leone Envoy’s Home Burgled
Arab News – Dec 27, 2007
Leone Envoy’s Home Burgled Javid Hassan, Arab News RIYADH, 27 December 2007 — Burglars have not even spared Sierra Leone’s Ambassador Emadedin Tejansie, whose house in Al-Mursalat district here was burgled Tuesday night and property worth over SR100,000, besides cash, was stolen. Speaking to Arab News from Makkah, the ambassador said his steward conveyed the news of the theft to him yesterday morning. His steward, Ibrahim, immediately informed the police who arrived at the house along with forensic experts to take fingerprints and collect other material evidence. Providing details of the items that are missing, the ambassador said they included his wife’s jewelry, three laptops, costly watches, video cameras, hi-fi systems and a printer, besides more than SR16,000 in cash. The ambassador said he would be reaching Riyadh today and would then verify missing items and assess the extent of damage done to property as well before estimating the exact amount of loss…
Providing details of the items that are missing, the ambassador said they included his wife’s jewelry, three laptops, costly watches, video cameras, hi-fi systems and a printer, besides more than SR16,000 in cash. The ambassador said he would be reaching Riyadh today and would then verify missing items and assess the extent of damage done to property as well before estimating the exact amount of loss. Tejansie, who has been serving as Sierra Leone’s ambassador for over 10 years, is the fifth in seniority in Riyadh’s diplomatic corps. The high-profile burglary highlights the rash of thefts in the capital, which has recently witnessed a surge in burglaries and armed robberies on an unprecedented scale. Alarmed by such incidents, community leaders have taken up the matter with Saudi officials as well as diplomatic missions in Riyadh. A community leader said Dr. Saleh Al-Kathlan, chairman of the follow-up committee of the National Society for Human Rights, assured him that he would submit a proposal to the Shoura Council on preventive measures that could be adopted in crime-ridden areas of the capital.

Koidu Holdings Vows to Continue Investment in S. Leone Despite…
Diamonds.net – Dec 27, 2007
 Diamond miner Koidu Holdings said it is prepared to continue to invest in its eastern Sierra Leone Koidu Kimberlite project, despite the scores of illicit miners that have flooded the area recently leading to riots and clashes with police. The company recently stopped operations at the site “because it could no longer be certain of the safety of its personnel and equipment,” Koidu explained. Some 1,000 illicit miners have reportedly raided the Koidu sight following Sierra Leone’s September general election in the hope of finding diamonds. The company, which is owned by Israeli diamond magnate Benny Steinmetz, said it has increasingly expressed concerns to government officials about a dramatic deterioration of security in the area and an encroachment of illicit diamond miners into the project. The government subsequently suspended operations at the mine on December 16, after at least two people were killed and several wounded from riots.

The Sun News On-line | Business news
Daily Sun – Dec 27, 2007
Zain Group Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Saad Al Barrak, the acquisition of Westel is important to Celtel as it give the mobile operator a “gateway to West Africa ”. Celtel operates in a number of West African countries including Nigeria , Niger , Chad , Burkina Faso , and Sierra Leone , among others. The company also looks forward to promoting Ghana as a gateway to West Africa through its One Network, the world’s first borderless network. One Network offers Celtel’s customers the opportunity to move freely across geographical borders using the same services they would access in their home country, and to make calls without roaming surcharges and without having to pay to receive incoming calls and messages. The service will also permit customers to buy and top up with local airtime when they visit other countries in which One Network is operational. Celtel’s One Network service is currently operational for over 400 million people across six nations in East, Central and West Africa.