Sierra Leone Telegraph: 3 August 2018:
The former Commissioner General of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) – Ms Haja Kallah Kamara, along with the former director of finance – Abdulai Conteh, were yesterday arrested and detained at the Criminal Investigation Department, for alleged corruption and misappropriation of public funds.
Both are in custody, while investigations continue – the ACC tells the Sierra Leone Telegraph.
Details of the ACC investigations are unclear. But there are reports the investigations are in regard to off-budget payments – running into several billions of Leones made by senior management of the NRA.
The audit reveals that in a twelve months period Haja Kallah Kamara (Photo) and finance director Abdulai conteh, are alleged to have paid off budget expenditure of Le7 billion for fumigation of NRA offices.
It is alleged that she also built a primary school in her name in her village, where she spent 6 billion Leones on corporate social responsibility.
It is also alleged that they paid Le3.8 billion to a fictious Lynx Investment for stationery for just one supply.
Unconfirmed reports say that most of the payments were also made in cash in the name of junior staff members.
It is reported that the audit only covered one year of 2017, and that given the massive revelation, the Board of directors of NRA have directed that a full-scale audit should be carried out on the finances of NRA to cover donor project funds, NRA 3% paid by Government, duty waiver account and anti-smuggling accounts.
There are allegations also that the management of NRA allowed several businesses and individuals to evade taxation payment.
One of those businesses is the local cable TV network – DSTV, who evaded tax payment of about 6 Billion Leones.
The newly appointed NRA board members are said to be highly seasoned experts including Madam Tuma Jabbi – Chair, Mr Raf Ansumana – Bank of Sierra Leone, Mr Sahr Jusu – Financial Secretary, Mr Syl Barnes – former auditor general auditor, and Lawyer Jusu Kallon.
In another development, it has been confirmed that former President Ernest Bai Koroma, his Vice, former Ministers, Heads and Chairmen of Boards of Parastatals, Departments and Agencies within the period from November 2007 to April 2018 are to be investigated for misappropriation of public funds, amassing unexplained wealth, and other financial misdemeanours.
President Julius Maada Bio has already appointed a Nigerian Judge, Justice Biobele Georgewill (Photo) to serve as Chairman of the Commission of Inquiry.
Justice Biobele is a Justice of the Court of Appeal of Nigeria. In 2017, he chaired a seven-man Judicial Commission on Armed Forces Compliance with Human Rights that investigated alleged violation of citizens’ rights by Nigerian security agencies.
The Constitutional Instrument on the establishment of the Commission has been tabled in Parliament for approval.
The setting up of a Commission of Inquiry is one of the recommendations laid out in the Government Transition Team Report.
The opposition APc party are protesting the arrest of former public officials whom they say, are members and supporters of their party.
They are also criticising the government’s procedure in introducing the Bill proposing the establishment of the Commission of Enquiry.
Corruption must be stopped.
I am currently non-partisan. Yes before I was. But when l reckoned the massive corruptive wealth stolen by the so called neuphite politicians, l resented politics in Africa. If president Bio can truly set a precedent that every cent stolen from the government coffers by these thieves, be paid fully and pay a restitution in the form of a jail terms, Sierra Leone then will become the new Namibia, Rwanda and Senegal which we’all be proud of and your legacy will live forever.
President Bio, please maintain that that the filth you uprooted, may not be implanted by those you chose to serve the nation. Amen
Mr Momodu Kamara,
Thank you very much for your insightful and revealing comment.You seem to be an insider, which is what the nation yearns for to expose those in authority who brow beat the likes of Haja Kallah Kamara into engaging in criminal activities with public funds.
If you know the Haja personally, please urge her to spill the beans to avoid going down alone. Through vicarious liability, former president Ernest Koroma is already up to his neck in trouble.
The admission of Osman Yansaneh on BBC radio that he was involved in thievery, albeit not alone, should be further encouragement for Haja Kamara to stand up and speak out to save her professional neck.
Thanks again Mr Momodu Kamara; your revelation should help ACC tremendously to save the nation precious time and money.
Do you happen to know anything about the rumour that former vice president Victor Foh has donated one of his homes in Kenema to be used by SLPP as an office? Could this be a desperate attempt to endear himself to President Bio to help him avoid the focus and wrath of ACC?
Doing a fine job Sir, keep the good work . Suad Bahsoon
Haja Kallah Kamara is a victim and she was forced by higher authorities to do many illegal things including enforcement of the Finance Act in favour of the Brewery
Dear President Bio,
By empanelling a commission of inquiry to look into all corrupt practices perpetrated by the Koroma Administration,you have released a monster which is going to assume a unique life of its own,whose main diet will be government officials who have trouble keeping their hands out of government coffers for personal use.
What can easily be foreseen about the monster is that it will develop no sense of loyalty – not even towards its creator.It will make grown up men and women tremble to their toes whenever it roams the corridors of power sometimes invisibly.
Mr President, you must be the most hated individual by the people [APC]whom you ousted this past April through the ballot box.These are people who have always boasted about their ninety nine political tactics which they believed made it impossible for anyone to defeat them – but defeat them you did.
They did arrive at the ninety ninth tactic but to their horror a strange element of it had divinely appeared which they could not understand let alone apply,making them sweat in air conditioned rooms as their grip on power slowly lost its tenacity.
When the Electoral Commissioner declared you president APC lost their mind and became listless, evidenced by the self-incrimination which the likes of Osman Yansaneh and even former president Earnest Koroma have dived into to save their skin.”AR TELL DEN SAY NAR BLOOD MONEY LEH DENOR TOUCH AM”,the latter said in a video recording.I hope the commission of inquiry will force the former president to disclose who “DEN” are.
Some in the former administration have already skipped town Mr President and have landed overseas, including Logus Koroma and former deputy mines minister,Abdul Koroma. Please instruct your Attorney-general to put out a warrant for their arrest with the International Police Organisation[INTERPOL].You may also ask the Americans and British to help us as well as member states of the British Commonwealth.The world should be made as small as the eye of a needle for these people who have destroyed our country,they are relatives of the devil.
I must let you know,Mr President,that I am with Dr Kandeh Yomkella and NGC,but I am first of all a Sierra Leonean. You are now the President of our dear country and I would only criticise you if I had good reasons to do so.It is the first time that I have ever associated myself with a political party because of the abiding dislike and suspicion that I habour for both APC and SLPP, notwithstanding the fact that there are individuals in both parties that I like.You are slowly becoming one.
Mr President, see yourself as the commander ; if you command your troops properly [ministers and others]they will do their job and you will emerge at the other end having carved your name into the history books positively for eternity and posterity.
I wish you Allah’s/God’s speed.
Good job President Bio. You are on the right track.