Criminal can't be a Sierra Leonean

Referring to the article on the death sentence imposed on the so-called citizen of Sierra Leone (The Jakarta Post, May 21), I write to seek clarification on how the citizenship of the convicted man was determined.

As a Sierra Leonean myself, I am certain that the individual in question, Okonkwo Nonso Kingsle, is not a Sierra Leonean as your paper stated. In fact, none of his three names Okonkwo, Nonso or Kingsle, exist among Sierra Leoneans. Such names are not common in our country.

As you may perhaps be aware, passport fraud is a common phenomenon in the whole of West Africa due to widespread political and economic instability in the region. In light of this fact, I am inclined to believe that this individual does not possess true Sierra Leone citizenship, but rather, may have obtained a Sierra Leonean passport through some dubious means.

AROUN RASHID DEEN New York

Note: Our information was sourced from official police reports.

--Editor