By Musa Paul Feika
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) boss, Francis Ben Keifala has accused the Judiciary of watering down the fight against corruption making specific reference to 2023 during the reign of Desmond Babatunde Edwards.
“Desmond Banbutunde Edwards only delivered two rulings on ACC matters which is clear indication that the judiciary is trivialising the corruption fight,” he said.
The ACC Boss made this statement at the commission’s headquarters in Freetown adding that there is a big workload for the Judiciary, a situation that compelled commission to ask government corrupt officials to refund stolen funds.
The ACC chief however commended the former Chief Justice for his initial commitment to the anti-corruption campaign.
Commissioner Keifala intimated the press that the commission recovered Le8.4 billion Leones in a month from the Sierra Leone Roads Authority (SLRA) corruption scheme.
He disclosed that investigation continued for one Smith from SLRA and four workers at the Account General’s Department, Ministry of Finance, adding that although they had been granted bail.
He said money was transferred via community Bank in Kabala and later a handful of Sierra Leoneans shared it among themselves.
Mr. Keifala admitted that the corruption scandal surrounding the Clerk of Parliament Hon. Umar Paran Tarawally would be looked into as he had admitted that his wife, Mrs Abibatu Paran Tarawalie was working in Parliament.
Mr Kelfala however informed the press that Mrs Abibatu Tarawally had refunded NLe151, 000 or Le151, 000, 000 (one hundred and fifty-one million Leones) being the total she received for the past 19 months.
He said the Clerk of Parliament confirmed to him that his wife had working in Parliament as Human Resources Manager but denied having knowledge about his wife’s employment.
“It is not forbidden to employ your wife, brothers or friends, within the confine of the law,” the ACC boss clarified.
But, he said Honourable Paran Tarawally told him that he had no knowledge of his wife’s recruitment, he should have documented that in written form stating that he was not part of the recruitment process of his wife, but he failed to do so.
The ACC Boss assured Sierra Leoneans that he would not fight corruption in hiding.
The ACC boss also made it clear that those involved in corruption were not going to be placed at the Cotton Tree because citizens were against such action he took against the teachers.
But, he strongly believed that it was one of the methods of fighting corruption, but the people were entirely and totally opposed to it.
He said it did not mean that because indictees had refunded the money to the commission it was “game over.”
Before the ACC granted bail to indictees, he said, the commission would first ask them to refund and later on the investigation would continue, and they knew what to do if they are found wanting.
“I am interested in protecting the country’s resources,” the ACC boss assured while making it clear that the commission had no power to suspend the Clerk of Parliament.