Sierra Leone Telegraph: 19 February 2019:
The younger brother of former president Ernest Bai Koroma – Thomas Koroma, has entered into an out of court settlement with the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), after investigators found that he had misappropriated the sum of $127,547.75 during the reign of his elder brother – president Koroma.
But critics say that the ACC needs to go deeper and wider in their investigations of Thomas Koroma’s business dealings with the former government, led by the APC of which he is a grand chief patron.
Many believe that Thomas Koroma was awarded several public procurement contracts by his brother – the former president, running into millions of dollars, which he partially or totally failed to deliver in line with contract specifications. (Photo: Former president Ernest Bai Koroma).
There are calls for the former president’s younger brother to be charged to court for corruption, based on evidence available at the ACC rather than asked to repay a fraction of what is believed to have been stolen from the state.
But with several former public officials having entered into similar out of court agreement to repay the state, it is unlikely that any senior public officials would be arraigned into court to answer corruption charges.
According to statement published by the ACC today, the agreement signed with Thomas Koroma in November last year – 2018, states that Koroma is to repay $127,547.75.
Since November 2018, Koroma has paid two lump-sums of $40,000 and $14,605.28 respectively to the ACC, leaving an outstanding balance of $72,942.47, which according to the ACC must be fully paid by June 2019:
Through out the world, human beings can only change their attitude when there is some form of deprivation or imprisonment. President Bio has made a clarion call in the fight against corruption; and what he should do is for him to recruit the population if the people are wielded with idea that corruption is responsible for their poor state of life. That is the beginning of the success to win the battle.
A close question to our government and especially to President Bio. Are the corrupt persons that ripped our beloved Sierra Leone of billions of Leones and millions of Dollars will be sent to prison?. YES OR NO.
Thanks to God Almighty, for the ACC to do their work during the regim of the New Direction of Maada Bio .
ACC shall be investigated.
We as Sierra Leoneans should be very careful how we allege senior citizens of this country as thieves when they have not been proven guilty by competent person in charge of the COI. We hope to see a better outcome of the aforesaid COI and anyone found wanting should face the full force of the law.
For sure, people that stole public funds should not only pay but also serve prison penalties. I can steal public money and do business and later keep profit and give back the money, whilst citizens are dying because of lack of good medical facilities, food, and better living. That’s so sad. People should not only pay those monies and go scot free.
I personally believe that former president Koroma will be missing the “Ariogbo” devils that were always present at State House to identify the thieves whenever some money or items were missing during his regime.
I also believe that if given the opportunity he will have preferred President Bio to call on the “Ariogbo” devil to vindicate him and his cronies rather than dishonouring them in front of the ACC or the Commission of Enquiry, which they believe is a kangaroo court that is bent on hunting witches.
Finally I believe that the only hope former President Koroma and his cohorts now depend on, is for the innocent people to come out and sacrifice their blood just to save them from dishonour.
This is how they were killing people slowly in Sierra Leone by stealing everything and people are getting poorer in Sierra Leone – what a shame.
Using the country’s money to better their lives, these thieves should be brought to justice.
Only $127,547? What a joke; and we should be talking of millions of dollars.
Mr Kamara. If it was a joke, why could he not pay at that time sir. It’s these small monies that put together can help develop the economy of a Nation. That shows how despotic the former officials were, unable to pay that small amount. Thanks
We are now living in hope, behind us trying to live in progress. Thank God for the country and the leadership.
The policy of asking folks that have stolen from the State to pay back part of their loot and walk a free person sends a wrong message to the public. Among other things, it tells the public that it is okay to steal from the State as long as you will reimburse the State with some of your loot in the future.
Stealing a large amount of money from the government is a felony that should be punishable with prison time. Why are we being so soft with these APC thieves?
The calls for further ACC investigation of Mr. Thomas Koroma are genuine because there are rumours that like his brother, the former president, he ripped Sierra Leone off in the tune of millions of dollars.