According to a Notice of Petition to Confirm Arbitration Award Respondent addressed over the weekend to Mohamed Lamin Tarawalley (Solicitor General), Osman I. Kanu (Lead Counsel), Mohamed P. Bangura, Lahai M. Farmah Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, Guma Building, Lamina Sankoh Street in Freetown, the dispute between SL Mining and Sierra Leone arises out of Sierra Leone’s breach of a Large Scale License Agreement (“MLA”), which granted the Petitioner certain rights to mine iron ore in Port Loko District, Sierra Leone (the “Marampa Project”).

On July 3, 2019, Petitioner received a letter from the Minister of Mines and Mineral Resources (“Minister of Mines”) prohibiting all mining, processing, hauling, and shipping activities under the License for a period of 21 days.

This letter alleged, among other claims, that Petitioner had contravened the Mines and Minerals Act of 2009 (“MMA”), that Petitioner made a statement to Sierra Leone in connection with its mining activities which it knew or ought to have known to be false, and that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone had commenced an alleged criminal investigation into Petitioner.