Sierra Leone minister, others arrested after copter crash

Sierra Leone's transport minister and three other state officials have been arrested on corruption charges after a helicopter crash two weeks ago which killed 22 people, anti-corruption officials said on Saturday.

Transport Minister Prince Harding, his permanent secretary, the director of the civil aviation authority and his deputy had all been detained under anti-corruption laws, officials from the West African country's anti-corruption commission said.

The helicopter service operated by Paramount Airlines had been grounded for safety checks earlier in the year.

"It's not clear how the Paramount helicopter service was given permission to continue operating," one official from the anti-corruption commission told Reuters, asking not to be named.

The Mi-8 helicopter exploded and crashed at Sierra Leone's main international airport on June 3, killing 22 people, most of them Togolese sports officials who had attended an African Nations Cup soccer qualifying game in Freetown.

Paramount is one of two commercial companies that runs helicopter services over the broad Sierra Leone river between Freetown and Lungi airport. The only other options are rusting river ferries or local fishing boats.