09 February, 2021 (SALONE TIMES)
FREETOWN – Public Account Committee last Wednesday 27January started hearing into the COVID-19 Special Audit Report and the 2019 Annual Auditor General’s Report at Committee Room No.1 Parliament Building in Freetown.
Deputy Auditor’ General of Audit Service Sierra Leone, Tamba Momoh explained that when the auditors carried out there auditing they found out that Office of the National Security (ONS) purchased 30 motorbikes and that the brand of the bikes is KAM 125.
He revealed that the supplier is Speed Way Investment which ONS contracted to purchase the bikes, pointing out that they inflated the prices from 12 Million to 21 Million for each bike.
That the inflated price proved that Speed Way should pay a balance of Le 276,600,000.
Deputy Speaker Hon Sengepoh Solomon Thomas who doubles as Chairman of PAC ordered officials of ONS that the suppliers should come to parliament within 30 minutes or else he (Deputy Speaker) would give him one week to return the money.
After an hour, the CEO of Speed Way Investment Ibrahim MishealKallon appeared before the committee and Hon Segepoh Thomas asked if he (Kallon) is the supplier of the 30 motorbikes, he (Kallon) responded in affirmative.
He indeed confessed to the committee that he bought the motorbikes the sum of Le 12,000,000 but he had to pay for to couple up the bikes for which each cost Le1.500,000, that he had to fuel all the bikes and rent vehicle to take the bikes to ONS and also had to pay GST to NRA which is Le 84m and at the same time deduct withholding tax which is 5.5%.
Kallon informed the committee that the ACC has also invited him in relation to the same issue. Deputy Auditor Momoh asked officials of ONS how they knew about this supplier, Speed Way investment, they (ONS) responded that they have a data base of which Speed Way was on it.
In another development, the RSLAF also procured 40 motorbikes from Speed Way for which they should also account for Le1.3b.
Hon Thomas asked Kallon how he get the contract, he responded that he supplied all the security sectors in the country.
