20110217
Xinhua
BISSAU, Feb. 17 (Xinhua) -- Guinea-Bissau's marine chief Americo Bubo Na Tchuto has asked the European Union (EU) to give "tangible evidence" to prove that he is involved in drug trafficking.

Bubo Na Tchuto, who was speaking with a parliamentary delegation that had paid a courtesy call to Bissau's marines, asked the EU to stop interfering with internal affairs of Guinea- Bissau which is a sovereign state.

Recently, EU threatened to freeze the assets of many Guinea Bissau government officials who include Bubo Na Tchuto and the chief of general staff of the country's army general Antonio Injai.

The two were accused of involvement in drug trafficking and flagrant violation of human rights in Guinea-Bissau.

"If I am handed a visa ban to visit European countries, I do not care because I can visit somewhere else apart from Europe," Bubo Na Tchuto affirmed.

In a statement published about ten days ago, Guinea-Bissau's chief of general staff termed as "lies" the information being circulated around by EU's foreign ministers accusing the senior army officials of involvement in drug trafficking.

"The chief of general staff challenges Bruxelles to prove these allegations or stop spreading falsehoods which are meant to tarnish the image of Guinea-Bissau's military chiefs," the statement said.

In order to restore relations between Bruxelles and Bissau and push for the lifting of sanctions that have been imposed on Guinea- Bissau's military and civilian authorities, the government dispatched a delegation led by the country's foreign minister Adelino Mano Keita to other European capitals.

In addition, on Tuesday, the country's Prime Minister Carlos Gomes Junior began a 72-hour visit to the Senegalese capital Dakar to meet with European diplomats to persuade them to lift the sanctions imposed on Guinea-Bissau's leaders.