Documents obtained by this press have shown that Clerk of parliament, Paran Tarawally has misappropriated public funds amounting to NLe156, 000 or Le156, 000, 000 (one hundred and fifty-six million Leones) but still remains in office.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), a body set up to prevent and investigate graft in public institutions is in no mood to set the Clerk of Parliament aside whilst investigating.
The said sum was paid as salaries from September, 2021 to March, 2023 with a monthly net pay of NLe7, 676 or Le7, 676, 000 (seven million, six hundred and seventy-six thousand Leones) to Abibatu Tarawally who has never reported for duty. Mrs Tarawally was recruited as a human resource officer in parliament.
Abibatu who is the wife of the Clerk of Parliament got a Pin No. 809310 and the amount was paid through Guaranty Trust, one of the local commercial banks.
All along, according to government sources, Paran’s wife has been enjoying from the national cake unnoticed as she stays out of Sierra Leone.
She remained untouched even when the sledge hammer recently dropped on workers in the legislative house.
The cat was however let out of the bag following an acrimony that emanated from the dismissal of over 100 parliamentary staff. The fraud is currently being investigated by the ACC, but the normal procedure has been breached by retaining the corrupt official in office.
ACC however says in a press release issued last week that Paran’s wife has received a substantial sum while her husband still holds the forte, but part of the money has been paid back.
“…Abibatu Tarawally returned one hundred and thirty-one thousand New Leones from the one hundred fifty-six thousand New Leones she received as salary for the 10 months she was on pay roll according to records obtained from the Accountant-General,” the ACC press release reads while assuring the public that the investigation is in progress.
Clerk of parliament, according to the press release, employed his wife without following the due process, a move that raised questions of conflict of interest and abuse of office.
Bail has been granted to the couple contrary to wide public expectations that they must be in custody or at least, the clerk be temporally relived of his duties until the investigation is completed.
Since President Julius Maada Bio took over power in 2018, the Clerk of Parliament who puts on a saint-like appearance, has been riding roughshod on opposition politicians especially members of the opposition, APC.
In a row that emanated from the imposition of the Speaker of Parliament and several petitions filed against elected APC parliamentarians, Paran was bold enough to order police officers to beat up opposition law makers, and the order was immediately complied.
Today, the man who purportedly carries himself an upright man has fallen in the hands of the ACC which seemingly embarks on a scheme of protectionism.
ACC’s failure to set Paran aside during investigation is the latest in a series since the ruling Sierra Leone People’s party took over state governance.
Sierra Leoneans saw the protection offered to officials of the Office of the President, parliament and other public sector institutions which, annual audit reports say, could not account for billions of Leones missing in their institutions.
Office of the President, in particular, was alleged to have forged a receipt involving billions of Leones but no investigation was conducted by the ACC, an agency that ate its words following a key promise that they would speedily act on all audit reports.
Government Spokesmen too were highly defensive of the presidency about the corruption claims. Instead, the Auditor-General Lara Taylor Pearce and her deputy, Tamba Momoh were arbitrarily suspended over what many call an attempt to humiliate the throne.
The 2021 public perception survey conducted by Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law also hit parliament, Sierra Leone Police and the presidency in respect of corruption, but as usual, the anti-graft agency took no action.
The ACC Chief, Francis Ben Kaifala saw these offices as no-go areas in his ‘fierce but fair fight against corruption.’He has always wanted to protect his office so that he can continue for another term.
ACC also turned a blind eye on allegations made against parliament by Honourables Paran Tarawallie and Hindolo Moiwo Gevao, two senior parliamentarians of SLPP even when the public called for the investigation of their claims.
A report of corruption (receiving bribes) made to the ACC by a member of the public against officials of the Lands Ministry was swept under the carpet because those concerned are linked to the ruling party.
Israel Jigba and other officials allegedly collected NLe20, 000 or Le20, 000, 000 from Desmond Akpondonor for a plot of land at Hill Station on a freehold and issued a receipt of NLe10m or Le10, 000, 000 (ten million Leones) while the balance was consumed in a corruption syndicate that has deeply taken root for years.
No head rolled as the officials remained intact in their offices as the ACC only recommended that the right thing had to be done. The weak and snail-pace manner in which the ACC carried out the investigation emboldened the officials to even defy a court order and had a field day.
To date, the case remains pending while the owner of the land is yet to access his property.
Also in the sphere of ACC’s selective justice and protectionism is the Office of Sierra Leone’s First Lady who was accused of embezzling US$2m meant for the implementation of the ‘Hands Off Our Girls.’
The project gears towards keeping girls safe from sexual violence which has been an uncontrollable social menace in Sierra Leone.
Since it concerned Office of the First Lady, the matter died even before it was taken to the ACC for investigation. As if the public was proven right, the ACC failed to get to the bottom of the investigation owing to fear of losing his job.
Instead of investigating the current First Lady, Fatima Bio, ACC went after the former one, Sia Koroma, a move that prompted allegations of bias and lack of neutrality against the ant-graft agency.
It is usually a different case when it comes to corruption allegations against former government officials including President Ernest Bai Koroma.
Apart from treason allegations for which Koroma is in the dock, corruption charges also have been slammed against the ex-President on several occasions although the court is yet to rope him in.
Unexplained wealth and money-laundering remain key allegations the ex-President has been grappling with after the presidency.
Sierra Leoneans did see the rapidity at which hearings at the commissions of inquiry were speedily carried out with tough actions against those who fell victim.
Several property, houses and estates that belong to former government officials were confiscated including the property of the deceased: Minkailu Bah, Minister of Education and Momoh Conteh, National Telecommunications Authority owing to findings from the commissions.
Former Commissioner-General, Haja Kallah Kamara was also arrested and held in a police cell for three days following corruption allegations.
She was released only after the money was paid back, but Paran and his wife were never detained by the ACC.
Such discriminatory move ignites feelings of bias among the public and even diplomatic circles with former US Ambassador saying “the whole fight against corruption in Sierra Leone is about punishing the old guys.”