As CID (Criminal Investigation Department) probe continues, the public calls on President Bio to relieve Minister of Fisheries of her duties for justice ends to be met. The Minister, Emma Kowa Jalloh is currently investigated by CID over death of a Koran businessman, Kim Sung Nyeon. The death has badly damaged relations between Sierra Leone and Korea.
According to reliable sources, a Korean delegation is seeking information about circumstances that led to the death of their own. A note found in his office indicates that Kim, last week, committed suicide owing to unfair treatment by his ministry.
The public believes that justice would be done to the deceased and his family if the investigation is properly carried out. It is the public view that proper investigation would be carried out only when it is not influenced from behind the scenes. Others have suggested that the investigation should not be handled solely by the CID, but jointly with ACC (Anti-Corruption Commission).
“Kim’s death is not a case for only CID, but also ACC,” a member of the public opined.
In Kim’s note, serious allegations of corruption were raised in respect of huge fines imposed by the ministry. The ACC’s investigation, the source said, had to revolve around the powers of the Ministry to take such punitive measures on the investor. Most times, he went on, ministries do not exercise such quasi-judicial powers on investors or operators.
The ministries, in most cases, exercise administrative authority over subordinate bodies that regulate operators. Commissions and other bodies impose fines on behalf of ministries and not ministries themselves. The source cited several examples about why ministries should not directly involve in the imposition of fines and other punitive measures on defaulting agencies.
He said although Ministry of Transport and Aviation is in charge of road, air and sea transport, regulatory powers are exercised by subordinate bodies.
“SLRSA (Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority) regulates road transport, SLMA (Sierra Leone Maritime Administration exercises control over sea transport, while SLCAA (Sierra Leone Civil Aviation Authority) regulates air transport,” he explained.
Another example cited by the source is the regulatory powers enjoyed by NATCOM (National Telecommunications Commission) and IMC (Independent Media Commission). The two entities are supervised by Ministry of Information and Communication, but does not perform regulatory powers over telecoms companies and media agencies.
To him, it is a misnomer for the Ministry to directly impose fines on ships and other fishing vessels. The source is very much concerned with the imposition of exorbitant fines by the ministry. Poaching or illegal fishing, according to the source, is a crime under Sierra Leone law.
The Ministry, he said, ought to have investigated and referred the matter to the court for appropriate punitive measures. Issuing fines by the ministry means usurping judicial powers; powers that do not belong to it.
In the deceased’s note, it is also alleged that ministry officials have put money above national interest. Another serious allegation raised was the disappearance of his ships while in the ministry’s custody. The note further alleged that the ministry took no responsibility after the two ships got missing.
These allegations deserve a multi-pronged investigation that should look at circumstances surrounding the investor’s death. The public believes that heads would roll if the minister is set aside, and the investigation be made free from political interference.
The source went on to state that Fisheries investigation was the only one in which the prime target remains on her seat. The source cited several examples in which ministers and other officials accused of misdeeds were set aside for proper investigation to take place.
Minister of Labour and Social Security formerly Minister of Basic and Senior School Education, Alpha Timbo with other officials was relieved of his duties when he was investigated by ACC over alleged misappropriation of several bags of rice. The Minister returned only after his name was cleared of wrong doing.
Allegations of misappropriation against Officials in the Ministry of Information and Communication were also set aside during ACC investigation. Those whose evidence points to their crimes were tried and those whose hands are not on the loot took back their posts. Most NACOVERC (National COVID-19 Emergency Response Centre) officials who allegedly misappropriated certain computer gadgets and electricity generator were investigated by ACC.
The allegations against the officials were made by the 2020 Audit Report. The officials got respite after ACC clarified that the donated generator was the one they found in a hospital at Zimmi in southern Sierra Leone, and the computers were also safe and sound.
Kim’s alleged unfair treatment is bad for a country yearning for investment especially in such a dire economic period. His death has sent a compelling message to the world that Sierra Leone is a place not safe for investors. Reliable sources have intimated this press that the ministry became hostile to the Korean investor because he was highly favoured by the past government.
It happened with an Israeli investor, Raphael Israel who would have made great fortunes in the country’s agricultural sector had SLPP (Sierra Leone People’s Party) government permitted him to go ahead with the project.
The investor who now resides in Britain after the death of his wife had it hot with officials of the ministries of Finance and Agriculture. The whole investment was about having a poultry farm in the southern town of Moyamba where thousands of youths were set to be employed.
It was a US$60M project that would have come from an Israeli Financial institute. The project was stifled by officials of the two ministries leaving the investor with no hope.
After Sierra Leone’s civil war in 2002, Sierra Leone was desperately in need of investors that would lift Sierra Leoneans from the doldrums of poverty and unemployment. A number of investors came during Tejan Kabba’s reign, but could not make the necessary impact the country deserved.
It was during former President Koroma that Sierra Leone played host to a number of investors in various sectors of the economy.
Mining, agriculture, transport and other critical sectors got some investments in which most Sierra Leoneans got a fair share.
The investors came after Sierra Leone was portrayed as an investment destination in an investment conference organised by former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair with other top executives in 2007. During former President Koroma’s tenure, the investors stayed peacefully in Sierra Leone.
But, they went into hot waters after PAOPA Government took over power in 2018. To justify their actions on foreign investors, they always say they are looking for credible investors.
But, the credible investors are not forthcoming as the country still wallows in economic hardship. The situation calls for setting aside the Fisheries Minister for establishing the truth so that Sierra Leone can have a new beginning in its dealings with foreign investors.