By Ralph Sesay
Police Inspector, Andrew Musa, attached to the Intelligence and Information Unit at the Commissions of Enquiry, has testified that former Minister of Lands and Country Planning, Diana Konomanyi, has not declared her assets to the Anti Corruption Commission upon her serving as Minister of Local Government, Lands and Country Planning between November 2007 and April 2018 respectively.
Inspector Musa was testifying how the unit made up of Police officers and other civilians had carefully worked with the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC), Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), Office of the Administrator and Registrar General, National Revenue Authority and the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) etc. to enquire into the various properties, bank accounts and financial transactions of all persons of interest who served in the All People’s Congress government.
The Police Inspector continued that they were able to effectively investigate the properties of thirty-five Persons of Interest who served in the APC government and that the ACC was instrumental in providing the Asset Declaration forms of all Persons of Interest, the SLRSA provided information relating to vehicles, the FIU on the financial transactions including bank accounts of Persons of Interest, NRA on tax obligations and the Office of the Registrar and Administrator General to name a few.
His testimony which started with the former Minister of Lands, Housing and the Environment and Local Government, stated that the Hon. Minister had two houses, vehicles, one dollar and one Leone accounts respectively at Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB).
The witness also reported that the former Minister of Lands and Local Government had emoluments of Le 1,067,718,633,000 for working as a Minister between November 2007 and April 2018 respectively.
Inspector Musa also told the Commission that the Hon. Minister’s accounts at GTB include USD 276,230 and Le 6,754,380,056 respectively.
One Mr. Campbell, an evaluator who testified on the value of the three houses of Diana Konomanyi also told the Commission that the Minister’s houses at Kono and Tokeh amounts to millions of dollars.
The Intelligence and Information Unit at the Commissions of Enquiry had thoroughly investigated and gathered all information relating to properties owned by past government officials who served the APC and it is expected that the Justice Biobele Commission of Enquiry alone will have to look through the assets of over thirty-five officials and close sources from the Commission says the unit had uncovered billions of Leones which was invested in property and assets within and outside the country.