PASTOR DISCOVERS 706-CARAT DIAMOND

freetown, sierra leone» A pastor has discovered the largest uncut diamond found in more than four decades in this West African country and has turned it over to the government, saying he hopes it helps to boost recent development in his impoverished nation.

Pastor Emmanuel Momoh found the 706-carat alluvial diamond in Yakadu village in Sierra Leone’s diamond-rich east, and it was presented to President Ernest Bai Koroma on Wednesday, said presidential spokesman Abdulai Bayraytay.

The gem, a bit smaller than a hockey puck, is the second-largest diamond found in Sierra Leone. In 1972, the 968.9-carat Star of Sierra Leone was found by miners and sold for about $2.5 million.

It was not immediately clear how the pastor came across the diamond. The Associated Press

President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone holds a diamond during a meeting with delegates of Kono district, where the gem was found. SLBC