October 26, 2020 (232News)
FREETOWN – Leader of Opposition Party Hon Chernor Maju Bah asked the Deputy Minister of Finance, Dr. Patricia Lavalely to tell his boss the Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa that they are aware of two contracts that were awarded by the government without due processes and parliament.
Hon Bah made this statement last Tuesday after the Deputy Minister laid two agreements at the well of parliament
Hon Bah said that they as parliament are waiting on two key agreements -the Cargo Tracking Note Contract (CTN) at Water Quay and the Inspection Scheme Operation at Balamuya and Lungi.
He revealed that those businesses are revenue generating institution and that the two agreements should have come to Parliament.
He maintained that they cannot be operating without the permission of the house of parliament and they are far too long otherwise the house will put a motion to uphold there operations which they did not want to do because the state needs revenue.
Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Abass Chernor Bundu said that this is not the first time the leader of the opposition is bringing this matter to the house of Parliament.
Opposition Whip, Hon Hassan Sesay said the companies in question have been operating since March which is over six month’s period under the Ministry Of Transport and Aviation
The Whip continued that they operating on their own because they did not know on what basis they are operating.
“It is our right to know more so when they are collecting revenue,” the Chief Whip maintained.
Dr. Bundu asked under what entity they are operating but the leader of Government Business responded that they are operating separately and that the other one is with the ministry of Transport while the other one is with the Ministry of Trade and Industry.
The Leader of Government Business Hon Mathew Nyuma said that the agreements were not brought to parliament and they as parliament did not know what they are collecting.
Speaker of Parliament has given them two weeks ultimatum for the agreements to be brought to Parliament.
Is believed that the CTN contract was awarded to Logistic Solutions and Services owned by one Musa Koroma while Inspections Scheme Contract was awarded to Integrated Trading Services (SL) Ltd owned by one Albert Gulama.
Both men are believed to be financiers of the ruling Sierra Leone People Party government of President Bio.
