A picture of the 706-carat diamond discovered in Sierra Leone [Saidu Bah/AFP]
A pastor in Sierra Leone has unearthed a 706-carat diamond, according to the government, in one of the largest precious stone finds ever made worldwide.
The discovery was made by Pastor Emmanuel Momoh in an artisanal mine in the village of Koyadu in eastern Kono district, a government statement said on Thursday.
“A 706-carat diamond was presented to President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma yesterday evening,” the statement said.
“Receiving the diamond President Koroma thanked the chief and his people for not smuggling the diamond out of the country,” it added, referring to the Tankoro chiefdom where Momoh uncovered the gem.
The diamond will be sold in Sierra Leone with a “transparent” bidding process to the benefit of the community and country, the statement said.
“I have to help the government and my people, so all of us can benefit,” presidential spokesman Abdulai Bayraytay quoted the pastor as saying.
Sierra Leone’s government has attempted to crack down on cross-border diamond trafficking to persuade foreign investors that “blood diamonds” that fuelled its civil war are a thing of the past. (Aljazeera)