Kassim Basma

Kassim Basma (1960 – 29 December 2018) was a Sierra Leonean-Lebanese businessman and diamond trader. Counterparts of the family in neighbouring Liberia were also diamond traders. He owned a diamond mining company in Kono and exported rough diamonds through the Government Gold and Diamond Office (GGDO) in Freetown. In 2005, Basma's company was the second-largest exporter of Sierra Leone's diamonds, behind only Hisham Mackie's H.M Diamond, which accounted for over 40 per cent of exports that year; together with two other foreign-owned firms, the two companies handled more than 90 per cent of all official diamond exports.

In June 2004, an Associated Press investigation by journalist Todd Pitman, published by News24 and the Washington Times, reported that U.S. State Department officials in West Africa alleged that the Lebanese Hezbollah movement was extorting contributions from West African Lebanese diamond merchants. Basma, identified by the news agency as "one of Sierra Leone's top diamond exporters", denied any link to the organisation, telling reporters in Koidu: "This is a lie. There's never been any connection between these people and Hezbollah. For me, I couldn't support them. For what? To cause myself problems?" Momoh handed the stone to Basma's eldest son, Jihad Basma, in Koidu for safekeeping; Kassim Basma, who was in Belgium at the time, flew back to Freetown to confirm to the government that he was willing and able to buy the diamond, as Momoh had insisted he be given the first option to purchase it.