33 Portland Place
Peter De Beer asked:
The property was occupied and used as the embassy for the Government of Sierra Leone.
Diplomats including the Deputy High Commissioner and members of a Sierra Leone Parliament including President Kabbar used the Edwardian apartments on the top 2 floors of the house on an occasional basis as residential accommodation when they visited London. These apartments were used throughout the late 50s and 60s.
After this time, however, the number of diplomatic staff at the embassy began to be reduced and the apartments were left empty for over 30 years. Sierra Leone suffered several financial crises and eventually a coup. During the coup and civil war that followed in Sierra Leone the elected government was exiled and no funds were available to run the London High Commission.
The embassy at 33 Portland Place was allowed to fall into substantial disrepair and the majority of the building became unusable and derelict. It was during this coup that an unusual step was taken by the formal High Commissioner Professor Forey. Professor Forey approached a British entrepreneur Edward Davenport for finance to assist the running of the embassy. The transaction that followed was clouded with unproven allegations of bribery and corruption.
The disputes were, however, all settled and from 1999 the building had a new owner, a company backed by Edward Davenport and plans were put in place to restore the property to a grand residence.
The property was occupied and used as the embassy for the Government of Sierra Leone.
Diplomats including the Deputy High Commissioner and members of a Sierra Leone Parliament including President Kabbar used the Edwardian apartments on the top 2 floors of the house on an occasional basis as residential accommodation when they visited London. These apartments were used throughout the late 50s and 60s.
After this time, however, the number of diplomatic staff at the embassy began to be reduced and the apartments were left empty for over 30 years. Sierra Leone suffered several financial crises and eventually a coup. During the coup and civil war that followed in Sierra Leone the elected government was exiled and no funds were available to run the London High Commission.
The embassy at 33 Portland Place was allowed to fall into substantial disrepair and the majority of the building became unusable and derelict. It was during this coup that an unusual step was taken by the formal High Commissioner Professor Forey. Professor Forey approached a British entrepreneur Edward Davenport for finance to assist the running of the embassy. The transaction that followed was clouded with unproven allegations of bribery and corruption.
The disputes were, however, all settled and from 1999 the building had a new owner, a company backed by Edward Davenport and plans were put in place to restore the property to a grand residence.