Sierra Leone News: ACC Indicts Public Officials
By Stephen V. Lansana
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Friday February 1, 2019, indicted Mr Edward King, acting Director of Information and Sorieba Kamara, Senior Accountant, in the Ministry of Information and Communication for not accounting for Le 206 million disbursed to them for nationwide sensitization campaign on the Commission of Inquiry.
Deputy Director of Public Education and Outreach Department of the ACC, Alhassan Kargbo, said in the statement that the indicted officials will appear in the High Court of Sierra Leone on Tuesday February 5, 2019.
According to ACC, the two officials were indicted for misappropriation of public funds and public revenue; failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of public funds; and failure to pay tax payable to a public body, contrary to the ACC Act of 2008.
“Following the ministry’s decision to undertake a nationwide sensitization campaign on the Commission of Inquiry, the acting director of information of the Ministry, Mr King accordingly requested and received the sum of Le 206 million on December 28, 2018, for the said purpose. After cashing the said sum, Mr King became unavailable until alarm was raised by officials of the ministry,” the Commission stated.
“The investigations also discovered that between December 28, 2018, and January 20, 2019, Sorieba Kamara, the Senior Accountant, who prepared the cheque in the name of Edward King, later received from Mr King the sum of Le 115, 500 million. Mr Kamara then disbursed and applied part of the said amount for purposes other than what it was meant for and could not account for the rest. Both men will appear in the High Court of Sierra Leone, holden in Freetown on February 5, 2019,” the Commission added.
In this regards, the Commission wishes to advise all public officers who are in control of public resources to comply with laid down laws and procedures in the handling and disbursement of funds. “Public Officers are further advised to desist from applying public resources for private purposes and gains. The commission shall prosecute anyone found waiting,” the Commission said.