Sierra Leone Telegraph: 19 June 2024:
Siera Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission has published its investigation report into allegations of abuse of office and fraud, involving the country’s Clerk of Parliament – Umar Paran Tarawally and his wife Abibatu Paran Tarawally, offences liable to imprisonment under the Anti-Corruption Laws.
But despite clear and incontrovertible evidence of serious wrongdoing, both the Clerk and his wife have escaped court charges given their political and tribal connections with the President and the ACC Commissioner.
According to the ACC report, “sometime in January 2024, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) published a Press Release in which it indicated that it had commenced investigation into an allegation that the Clerk of Parliament, Hon. Umar Paran Tarawally, had improperly employed his wife, Mrs. Abibatu Parana Tarawally, and that the wife received salaries and other allowances from September 2021 to March 2023 without actual work or being entitled to it.
“Our investigations confirmed that: Mrs. Abibatu Parana Tarawally benefited from salaries and other allowances in the capacity as Human Resource (HR) Officer from September, 2021 to March, 2023 (19 months); Mrs. Tarawally’s net salary per month for the said period was Seven Thousand, Six Hundred and Seventy-six Leones (Le 7,676);
“Mrs. Tarawally admitted to have been employed as a replacement staff sometime in November, 2021, worked for only a few days and fell ill, which warranted her to travel out of the country for medical attention. She received salaries and allowances for a period of 19 months in total, amounting to One Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-two Leones (Le 156,422).
“The sum of One Hundred and Fifty-Six Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty-two Leones (Le 156,422) received as salaries and allowances for the period Mrs. Tarawally is alleged to have worked has been recovered from her and paid into the ACC Recovery Account.
“Concerning Hon. Umar P. Tarawally, the investigation established that, while he denies playing any role in his wife’s employment, it is implausible that he was not aware of same. He therefore failed in his supervisory responsibilities as Clerk albeit that the matter did not meet the prosecutorial threshold for an indictment to be preferred. Hon. Umar Paran Tarawally has therefore been referred to the President for appropriate administrative action.
“In light of the above, Mrs. Abibatu Parana Tarawally having refunded the full amount that was paid to her during the period in question and having consented to a settlement of the matter pursuant to Section 89 (1) (b)(i)(ii) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 (as amended in 2019) must:
“Also pay an interest of 10% on the said sum amounting to Fifteen Thousand Six Hundred and Forty-two Leones (Le 15,642).
“Is precluded from holding public office for a period not less than five years, as provided for in Section 89 Subsection (1)(b)(i)(ii) of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 (as amended in 2019).
“In addition, the Corruption Prevention Department of the ACC will work with the Office of the Clerk of Parliament and the Human Resources Department of the Parliamentary Service Commission to help strengthen and establish efficient systems and processes that will prevent such administrative anomalies from recurring.”
The whole Tarawally affair is simply a replica of what Sierra Leone has become under Bio : if you’re SLPP, you can take the whole Treasury away on a red carpet laid out by “ben ben “ Kelfala, who is a mockery of the legal profession.
The Anti-Corruption Commission/Czar in Ben Kaifala’s case has always been a laughable appellation—an inflated combination of words that is very much in keeping with its true value, or rather, the lack thereof. That is to say, it is like borrowed robes worn ill-fittingly by a mere political tool (fool?)—President Bio’s handyman doing his dirty job, parading ludicrously as a legal heavyweight and person of consequence.
Refunding the full amount of money that was received fraudulently does not absolve one from corruption. Nothing adds up here, how can one be paid for 19 months when you are not at work on sick leave and wonder what employment contract terms exist in Parliament. How can a husband who heads the administration of Parliament not know that his wife has been receiving salary for 19 months when not at work? Do these people think we are as daft as they are? As for the ACC commissioner he has once again proved that he is not up to the job given his unethical, bias and unprofessional conduct in fighting corruption.
I hope the President fires the clerk and save his administration from further embarrassment.
What ACC published such rubbish in spite of the evidence that they said that they found. This is ridiculous. Why has Ben Kelfala bend so low.
I note that the article states that the tribal and political lineage of Mr. Tarawally with the president played a role in the ACC none indictment. I want to state that paran Tarawally is a Madingo from a Madingo father and a Themne mother, whilst the president is a Shebro with a Mende mother.