By Josephine W. Lagawo
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, has mandated that staff of Union Trust Bank (UTB) repay the sum of Le 460 million to the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) by Friday, 6th September 2024. The order includes the requirement that the bank provides a receipt of payment to the PAC.
Additionally, the SLRSA Branch Manager, Othaniel Daniel Lahai, has been instructed to pay Le 11 million into the Consolidated Fund for negligence. He is also to serve a two-week suspension, after which he will be transferred to another branch upon his return to office.
This decision was made during a PAC hearing held on Wednesday, 4th September 2024, at the Administrative Building in Parliament, Tower Hill, Freetown. The hearing followed the discovery of discrepancies in the Auditor General’s report, which revealed missing funds from the SLRSA account at UTB.
During the proceedings, Hon. Tawa Conteh questioned how Le 574 million had gone missing from the SLRSA’s account. Mr. Lahai explained that the funds were credited to the account, but later vanished. He further stated that SLRSA had written to the bank, which admitted to issues involving a breach of trust.
The PAC also heard from UTB staff, who disclosed that a bank employee, Mohamed Conteh, was responsible for making deposits on behalf of the SLRSA manager. It was revealed that Conteh, along with an intern named Alhaji Turay, had conspired to defraud the SLRSA.
SLRSA Executive Director, Rev. Smart Senessie, confirmed that both SLRSA and UTB had held joint meetings to address the issue, as the bank’s statement provided to the SLRSA had been tampered with, which the bank manager admitted.
The PAC has emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable and ensuring the recovery of the misappropriated funds.
