Sierra Leone Telegraph: 17 November 2021:
Amid growing furore in Sierra Leone, President Julius Maada Bio has this evening appointed three members of a judicial tribunal that will investigate the country’s Auditor General – Lara Taylor-Pearce and her deputy – Tamba Momoh, for what the president refers to as allegations of misconduct and unprofessionalism.
The statement announcing the names of the tribunal says: “Pursuant to Section 137(5)(a) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991, His Excellency the President has appointed Tribunal to investigate the Auditor-General, Mrs. Lara Taylor-Pearce and the Deputy Auditor-General, Mr. Tamba Momoh for alleged misconduct and lack of professional performance.”
The tribunal members are named as Justice Nyawo Finda Matturi-Jones – Chairperson; Mr Lahai M. Farma – Member; and Mr Abu Bakarr King – member.
On Monday 8th November, 2021, Deputy Attorney General (a title most legal minds in the country say does not exist in the constitution) – Mr. Umaru Napoleon Koroma, sent a letter to the Chief Justice calling for the setting up of a judicial tribunal to investigate the conduct of Mrs. Lara Taylor-Pearce and her deputy – Mr. Tamba Momoh, with regards “several allegations in the form of complaints lodged to His Excellency the President, amounting to misconduct or lack of professional performance while in office”.
Since the publication of that letter, public as well as media reactions have continued to demonstrate support for the Auditor General, whom many describe as the country’s most honest and dedicated public official – who has exposed massive evidence of financial mismanagement and impropriety by successive governments.
But critics of the government say that the President has taken the decision to suspend and put on trial the Auditor General because of the latest – yet to be published audit report which will show evidence of massive corruption in the Bio-led government.
The decision to appoint the investigating tribunal comes on the heels of a letter written to the country’s Attorney General yesterday by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sierra Leone, showing support for the Auditor General, as well as today’s public statement from the International Organisation for the Supreme Audit Institution (INTOSAI) calling for the immediate reinstatement of the Auditor General and her deputy:
Because of too much hatred and jealous won’t let people relax, find out before making final conclusion or judgement. For now, no one can say this is the cause and the causes for her suspension but the investigation process play, we will come to understand at the end of the day. My Senegalese friend one day asked me an unfriendly shameful embarrassing question, saying” why you guys insulting your president?” your president doesn’t talk as the other leaders do, he’s quiet am I right?. I was speechless.
Our main problem in these two major party is; APC don’t want to be call” opposition” this is the fundamental problem. When the late Tejan Kaba was elected, APCs not sleeping neither by day nor by night, calling him a foreigner from Guinea etc, and God would never changes us, if we don’t change ourselves. A unity makes USA became the most powerful nation or country on the planet, my question is what’s wrong with us not to unite together?. Respect your leader, God will elevates you more higher than you expected, Bio is our president, he deserves honor and respect. Thank you……
I have not completely read about the resignation of the chartered Auditor. I just know only a little about her. Do you people really know what had happened in the office. What is the main problem?. Everyone is just pointing to the president. Is there not any committee investigating about the matter? We surely will know after the investigation has finished. We must not blame a person who has just fired someone related to work. We must respect our president democratically elected. He is our president and because of that respect as other presidents are in the world.If we cannot respect our president who do you think will do it? A man from the MASS?