The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has apologised to former Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament and current Member of Parliament for Pujehun District, Hon. Sidie M. Tunis, following an internal investigation into issues surrounding his application for a United States visa.

According to the report, the Ministry concluded that Tunis was unaware of and played no role in obtaining a US visa for Chapator Bah in 2023.

On September 3, 2026, the US Embassy in Freetown reportedly declined to process Tunis’ visa application on the grounds that he had recommended Bah, described as his executive assistant, for a US visa in 2023, but that Bah had not returned to Sierra Leone.

Following the decision, Tunis wrote to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, requesting an investigation into the matter to establish the relevant facts.

The Ministry subsequently launched an internal investigation and later wrote to Tunis, offering an apology for what it described as the poor handling of official documents relating to his visa application.

The report states that the Ministry’s findings cleared Tunis of any knowledge of or involvement in the alleged fraudulent visa application involving Bah.

Meanwhile, the Ministry has reportedly suspended four staff members over their alleged involvement in the matter and referred the case to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for further investigation.

The outcome of the internal investigation has reportedly left Tunis feeling vindicated following the concerns surrounding his visa application.

Tunis is a businessman and politician who previously served as Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament.