Sierra Leone Telegraph: 27 August 2018:
After just five months in office, the elected SLPP president Julius Maada Bio and the country’s Anti-Corruption Czar – Francis Ben Kaifala, are beginning to make life difficult for those involved in corruption at all levels of public life in the country.
They are taking the fight to corrupt officials, who for far too long have been abusing their offices and misappropriating public funds for their own personal gain, despite growing poverty in the country.
The latest action of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), sees the start of its operation eagle’s claw, aimed at rapid investigation and arrest of anyone suspected of corruption and malfeasance.
Speaking to the Sierra Leone Telegraph editor – Abdul Rashid Thomas, the ACC Czar Francis Ben Kaifala (Photo) said: “The issue of corrupt dealings in our national passport has been around for a long time.
“It is not just corrupt; those passports are sometimes used by criminals to bring the country into disrepute. This is the time to attack the syndicate responsible for it and bring them to justice.
“With operation eagle’s claw, anyone can be snatched and there is no hiding place for those involved. We have all the evidence connected to the offence through covert operation conducted by the ACC Intelligence Unit over a period of three months before the arrests were made simultaneously.
“So, it is not an investigation. It is a matter of straight forward arrests for completed crimes, for which we have evidence.”
This is a statement issued last week by the ACC about its ‘operation eagle’s claw’ and its latest activities:
Sierra Leone will never be on a good road without those in power today. Those people involved in such malpractices must face the law. The culprits should be judged and sentenced to prison terms.
I am absolutely in favour of the corruption Czar. He is leading a war against the malaise of the country. If Sierra Leone is free of corruption, life will be much better, especially for the poor. Thanks Mr Kaifala for your hard work in cleaning the country.