September 09, 2020, (SALONE TIMES)
FREETOWN – Sierra Leoneans are agape with their hands on their chins witnessing firsthand how nepotism is seemingly destroying the mining sector in the country.
The Ministry of Mines has seen three Ministers and three permanent secretaries in two yet still Sierra Leone’s Mining Industry is struggling to survive.
It is believed that the elephant in the room is the head of that institution who is always boasting about his affinity with President. Bio
This may not be farfetched from the fact that the head of the Parliamentary Committee and Accountability has started uncovering massive corruption at the National Mineral Agency.
Chairman of the Committee, Hon Ibrahim Tawa revealed in a committee hearing that Kingho Investment Company SL (Ltd) has not paid Sierra Leone the $4.9M.
That the company has not been existing in the country but already has investments in the South and Northern regions of the country.
That when such was put to officials of NMA to explain, they failed woefully to convince the committee.
They also failed to convince the Committee on the Mathematical Calculations made to award the mining license to a company that had defaulted under the past government for which some of its licenses were annulled.
The committee resolved that NMA provides them (the committee) with Bank Statements of China Kingho Energy Group and China Kingho Investment at HSBC respectively within 7 days.
That NMA also submit their Bank Statement from May 2018 to date, noting that they should also request China Investment to provide their Bank Statements of all their accounts; they are operating in Sierra Leone.
That the procurement of Vehicles for NMA including minutes of the Board approval from February 2019 to date be provided to the committee.
Details on this in subsequent editions.
