October 24, 2020 (232News)
FREETOWN – Anti-Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone has clarified that a 3.2Billion allegation which an online newspaper claimed is missing has already been investigated and action has also been taken.
“The attention of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has been drawn to an article, published in the Africanist online newspaper, dated 15th October, 2020; titled *“Le3.2 billion foreign travel tax revenue missing in Sierra Leone”* in which the publication seems to suggest that action has not been taken on the loss,” the release states.
ACC maintained that it had already investigated these allegations and have accordingly instituted appropriate actions.
That amongst other things, the ACC’s findings established that between March, 2018, and September 2019, Revenue Officers, Abubakarr Sidikie Kamara, Mariama Ballah Conteh, and Jeneba Sesay, Revenue Officers, Report Processing and Return Payment (RPRP) Department of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) misappropriated a total sum of Five Billion, Three Hundred and Eighty-two Million, Nine Hundred and Forty-Four Thousand, Six Hundred and Five Leones (Le.5, 382,944,605) of Public Revenue, being Foreign Travel Tax paid by the airliner, Royal Air Moroc, and Foreign Travel Tax, paid by Euro World SL Ltd.
That in February 2020, the ACC charged all three former NRA officers with eight (8) counts of Misappropriation of Public Revenue, contrary to Section 36(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 And that the matters are currently ongoing in court before the Hon. Justice Cosmotina Jarrett, J.
That Abubakarr Sidikie Kamara who in his then capacity as Revenue Officer in the RPRP Department of the NRA misappropriated a total sum of Three Billion, Eighty-Eight Million, Eight Hundred and Seventy-Eight Thousand, Five Leones (Le.3, 088,878,005) of Public Revenue, being Foreign Travel Tax paid by the airliner, *Royal Air Moroc,* and Foreign Travel Tax, paid by Euro World SL Ltd is on the run while being tried in absentia.
That a wanted person notice was accordingly issued as he (Abubakarr Sidikie Kamara) faces four (4) counts of Misappropriation of Public Revenue, contrary to Section 36(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008.
The ACC release continued that Mariama Ballah Conteh, who between March and May 2018, misappropriated a total amount of One Billion, Seven Hundred and Twenty-Three Million, Eight Hundred and Fifty Nine Thousand, Six Hundred Leones (Le1, 723,859,600) of public revenue, being Foreign Travel Tax paid by Euro World SL Ltd for which she is currently facing three (3) counts of Misappropriation of Public Revenue, contrary to Section 36(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008.
That Jeneba Sesay who was Revenue Officer, RPRP Department, NRA, on 29th March, 2018, misappropriated public revenue amounting to Five Hundred and Seventy Million, Two Hundred and Seven Thousand Leones (Le.570, 207,000.00), being Foreign Travel Tax paid by Euro World SL Ltd for which (Jeneba Sesay) is currently facing one (1) count of Misappropriation of Public Revenue, contrary to Section 36(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008.
In the same vein, ACC has recovered One Billion Leones (Le. 1,000,000.000.00) from one Travel Agency as settlement due to the complicity of one of its staff in the scam.
The Commission has reassured the general public of its unshaken resolve to fight acts of corruption at all levels in Sierra Leone, especially in revenue generating institutions given the fact that they are the lifeblood of States, therefore crucial to State survival.
