Francis Ben Kaifala Esq., ACC Commissioner the session by underscoring the gathering's significance tha, “this meeting aims to inform the public about the challenges our country confronts and explain why changing Sierra Leone's narrative has been so arduous.” He lamented that the country’s true disasters stem from human actions rather than natural calamities.
The FCC identified troubling discrepancies in its financial transactions, with several payments unaccounted for. Upon investigating, the ACC discovered that the council's revenue systems had been severely undermined. Checks issued in FCC's name were manipulated by certain staff in specific revenue-generating departments to divert funds that should have gone to legitimate services.
Commissioner statted that a critical finding involved the alteration of checks intended for the FCC. By appending “Football Club” to these checks, these individuals redirected funds away from the FCC's official account to a separate football club account.
In 2019, the FCC established a football team to participate in the Sierra Leone Premier League, spearheaded by Mayor Yvonne Aki Sawyer and other officials, which necessitated the creation of a dedicated account for the team's welfare. Over time, this team evolved into a fan-managed entity, leading to a change in the account's signatories and management. Kaifala revealed that this shift allowed individuals to manipulate check amounts and names for easy access to funds, which were subsequently withdrawn for personal gain.
The ACC's investigation further unveiled collusion between council employees and bankers at Commerce and Mortgage Bank, who forged signatures and manipulated documents to facilitate unauthorized transfers between accounts.
The investigation estimates that approximately four billion old Leones passed through this fraudulent football account, with around three billion old Leones believed to have been misappropriated. Several individuals have been arrested, other are in custody and some suspects beginning to confess and return stolen funds. Efforts are underway to bolster legislation, including the Last Act, to combat such corruption effectively and empower relevant authorities.
Francis Ben KaifalaEsq, noted that this corruption syndicate exploited vulnerabilities in revenue collection, revealing a disturbing collusion with bankers that facilitated their illicit operations. Both the implicated bank and council staff face severe repercussions, including financial restitution and reputational harm.
The ACC emphasized the need for accountability among banks for their failure to safeguard public funds, particularly concerning the immense sum of four billion old Leones misappropriated by lower-level council employees, illustrating the extensive nature of corruption and its detrimental effects on national progress.
Correspondent-Amara Kargbo
Email:kargboamara079@gmail.com
Tel: +232 73111507
Comentários