SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party)’s hypocrisy about the fight against corruption in state governance is again made visible. Government’s corruption syndicate has been captured and exposed by a US-based media agency, Africanist Press which delves into a fraudulent agreement between a Turkish company, Negmar Deniszcilik Yactirim Corporation and Sierra Leone Government.
The corruption scheme is new as government enters into a fresh agreement after with Negmar after has got thousands of US dollars from a Greece-based Ettarna Ship Management Company which should take over port terminals in Freetown and the northern town of Lungi.
Under the new agreement, the Turkish company enjoys ownership right over the infrastructure and assets of three port terminals in Lungi and Freetown for a 25-year period. The contract, Africanist Press says, was gone into by both parties for the provision of ferry services for Lungi and Freetown.
The ferry service will be privately owned, financed and operated by Negmar Corporation for the said period. The Negmar Group was established, in 2008, as a shipping and investment company Instabul, Turkey.
The company is jointly owned by three Turkish companies: Gubretas, Nesma Holding Company and Etis Shipping Corporation. Documents seen on its website indicate that Negmar’s business approach blends Turkey’s entrepreneurial energy with international partnerships on land and maritime logistics. The agreement was signed in the Asian country of Turkey during one of Bio’s private visits to President Racep Tayib Edrogan.
“The Ministry of Transport and Aviation, in accordance with the concession agreement signed between the government of Sierra Leone and Negmar Denizcilik Yactirim A.S. incorporated, hereby hands over the ferry terminal ports of Kissy, Government Wharf and Tagrin to Negmar Shipping and Investment Corporation (incorporated in Sierra Leone), a subsidiary of Negmar Denizcilik Yactirim A.S. incorporated in Instabul Turkey,” a portion of the agreement reads.
Africanist Press also claims that a Sierra Leonean delegation was in Turkey recently to cement the agreement. A press release that was also issued by the country’s transport and aviation ministry in September, last year announced that the government of Sierra Leone had signed a contract with Negmar at the company’s headquaters in Instabul.
The agreement obliges the Turkish company to develop the infrastructure and renovate assets located in the said port terminals for use of ferry service operations, offices and other services affiliated with the ferry operation.
The Ministry, the agreement notes, will continue to provide support in operationalising and implementing the agreement. The signing of the agreement is bizzare as parliament was left in the dark.
Bio’s move is a complete disregard for the constitution of Sierra Leone, the country’s most supreme law. The law in question requires the President to table before parliament any agreement or treaty he goes into on behalf of Sierra Leone for parliamentary scrutiny and approval.
The aim is to ensure that any agreement entered by government is in the people’s interest. Since the people own the resources and money. Any approval by parliament means an approval of the people from whom government, through the constitution, derives its power, authority and legitimacy.
But, this process was flouted. Bio’s clandestine movements leading to the signing of the agreement is enough to raise a big cloud of suspicion.
It was discovered by the US-based media agency that the 25-year port agreement was granted to the Turkish company in the dinner table of the Turkish President during one of Bio’s visits in early August of last year.
It was also confirmed by Africanist Press that that Bio flew from London to Turkey in the same month after the UK Global Education Summit. The Private visit, the report went on, was not part of the presidential itinerary announced in July ahead of the London conference.
Bio’s visit to the Asian country however remains one of the most closely guarded secrets in recent past. Its complete details were never released.
Africanist Press also claims that a state House press release could only confirm that on 17th August, 2021 that Bio’s private meeting with President Edrogan was to strengthen bilateral relations between Turkey and Sierra Leone and to further explore investment opportunities between the two countries. “The special invitation to President Bio by President Racep Edrogan is a manifestation of the strength of the bilateral relations between Sierra Leone and the Republic of Turkey which continue to grow and develop,” State House press release states.
Bio’s claims of strengthening ties with the Asian country leaves much to think about. Press report says it not the actual purpose. Documents reviewed by Africanist Press shows that Bio’s visits to Turkey was mainly to conclude the 25-year agreement with Negmar. Diplomatic sources in Turkey confirmed that Negmar executives foot the bill for Bio’s trip to the country which was designed to coincide with the 15th Turkish International Defence summit in Instabul held in August, last year.
This occasion masked the actual purpose of Bio’s travel to Turkey. It was reported that President Bio was the only African Head of State at the Turkish Defence Conference. Almost all African countries were represented by defence ministers including Sierra Leone’s minister of Defence, Kellie Conteh.
Apart from the lack of parliamentary approval and the absence of a bidding process, Africanist Press also discovered that the Negmar process violated an already existing agreement between the government of Sierra Leone and a Greece-based company, Etterna Ship Management Company.
Etterna was granted a five-year agreement by the government of Sierra Leone to develop and improve ferry services between Freetown and Lungi in mid-July, 2020. Africanist Press was informed by an official of the National Privatisation Commission that Sierra Leone Government had earlier contracted Etterna Company as managers and operators of ferry services in Sierra Leone.
The agreement was signed almost two years ago between the company and Sierra Leone Government representatives. Under this agreement, the Greece-based company was given legal right to manage and operate ferry services for five years on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone through competitive tender.
Etterna Ship Management officials have expressed shock that government of Sierra Leone has handed over the ferry port terminals and ferry service operations to a Turkish company for a lengthy period without consulting them. Africanist Press also indicated that company documents and official correspondence between Sierra Leone Government and Etterna company indicate that the company has been in Sierra Leone for 15 years with a local staff of 37 employees.
It was also reported that the company has invested more than US$70, 000 in an abandoned vessel owned by government of Sierra Leone, a factor that adds insult to their injury.
“We are really surprised and outraged at the same time when we found that government of Sierra Leone has signed an exclusive 25-year contract with a completely new and unknown company from Turkey while existing operators already have similar contracts with government,” officials said in a protest letter sent in November, 2021 to the government of Sierra Leone.