2. Page 2 The Parliament of Sierra Leone on Thursday 23 rd May, 2024, approved Au- gustine Foday Ngobie, to serve as Deputy Commissioner of the ACC for a second term, pursuant to Sections 3 and 4 of the Anti - Corruption Act of 2008 (as Amended in 2019). The mandate of the ACC Deputy Chief was renewed on the 5 th April, 2024 by His Excellency, President Brigadier (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio. Speaking in Parliament, Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, commended the Deputy Commissioner and acknowledged his outstanding contributions to the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone. He said that during the interview by the Appointments Commit- tee, Mr. Ngobie demonstrated his commitment to fighting corruption more strongly quoting the Deputy Commissioner as saying , “Corruption is very serious, and we will treat any information we receive with every confidence, so that people making reports to the ACC will believe that no one will go unpunished for acts of corruption.” In his first five years as Deputy Commissioner of the ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie, gave his unflinching support to the ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. in helping the Commission make tremendous gains in the fight against corruption. In their first term, the country recorded EXCELLENT scores in the ‘Control of Corruption’ indicator in the Millennium Challenge Corporation Scorecard and moved 22 places upwards from 130 in 2017 and ranked 108 in the 2023 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (TI - CPI), with a score of 35 above the Sub - Saharan average. Commenting on his approval, Mr. Ngobie thanked His Excellency, President Bio for the confidence he continues to repose in him, thanked the Honourable Members of Parliament for their overwhelming and unanimous APPROVAL and pledged his unending support to the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone. Mr. Ngobie holds a Bachelor of Science in Education (Major Economics) Degree, from the University of Sierra Leone. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Njala University. Mr. Ngobie is a Certified Fraud Examiner and has a wealth of experience in investigations and administration. Mr. Ngobie has undergone several professional trainings such as; “Tracing and Recovery of Corrupt Proceeds and Money Laundering; Exhibit Management and Proceeds of Crime Tracing; Investigative Skills and Investigative Interviewing Skills.”Before joining the Commission, he served the Sierra Leone Police in many capacities from 1990 to 2002, where he attained the position of Deputy Head of the Inspectorate and Compliance Division. Mr. Ngobie retired as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP). Deputy Commissioner, ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie
3. Page 3 T he Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday 21st May, 2024, played host to 42 Student Officers of Course 46 of the Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC) from Jaji, Kaduna, Nigeria. The visit by the Team at the Conference Room, Integrity House Tower Hill, Freetown forms part of a study tour aimed at strengthening defence and diplomatic ties with the theme "Leveraging Good Governance for Operational Efficiencies of Security Forces”. Welcoming the Team, Deputy Commissioner of the ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie expressed delight to receive the delegation from Nigeria, stating that the Commission is even more pleased to get to share with them its efforts in the fight against a plague that poses a huge security threat. He disclosed to them the reason for the establishment of the Commission, noting that, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Report revealed that corruption was a major cause of Sierra Leone's eleven Deputy Commissioner ACC, Augustine Fo- day Ngobie (right) making a statement By: Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Assistant, ACC years bloody unrest. Mr. Ngobie furthered that the Commission's mandate is contained in the Anti - Corruption Act of 2008 (As amended in 2019), repealing the initial 2000 Act. "We have Prosecutorial authority that the Act provides, without having to go through the Director of Public Prosecution's Office. This has enhanced our work and made us robust" asserting that, the Commission has recovered whopping sums of monies in about 45 Million (New) Leones, or about $3.5 Million United States Dollars and recently made public display of one of such recoveries. The DC stated that the innumerable successes of the ACC have been possible because of the unprecedented Presidential and Political WILL that the Commission enjoys. The Team Lead, Brigadier General A.M Grema, Director of Coordination, Armed Forces Command and Staff College (AFCSC), Jaji, Nigeria in his statement expressed immense admiration for the said Political and Presidential Will that the Commission enjoys, adding that the Integrity Building itself is an impressive testament. Brigadier General Grema underscored that, the AFCSC is an institution established in 1976 to train middle level cadre officers, but overtime it has been equally training Officers and Staff from other Security Institutions including the Nigerian Anti - graft Institution - The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The Brigadier General also said that the College runs three courses that include, the Staff Duty Course, Junior and Senior Course, with the African Study Tour being part of the Curriculum of the Senior Course. "This is meant to afford the students the opportunity to get first hand information and interact with relevant Stakeholders in the seven (7) countries visited this year" he disclosed. Brigadier - General Grema (left) from Nigeria making a statement Contd on Pg 4 The Audience at the Session with ACC Group photo in fron of Integrity House - ACC and the Visiting Team
1. 20th—24th May 2024 Issue 2 Volume 18 INTEGRITY HOUSE, TOWER HILL FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR - IN - CHIEF Abubakarr Turay EDITORS Sylvanus Blake Alex A. Bah LAYOUT & GRAPHICS Philippa M. Davies EDITORIAL ADVISERS Augustine Foday Ngobie Patrick Sandi A t the admired and enviable Harvard, he avowed to announce himself, us, and our ev- er incrementally startling story thus far. He braved the hazards on his way to Harvard, determined to bring home the honors and he has done it again. Francis Ben (Keejay) Kaifala Esq, will indeed return home with his booths full of pride, honor, dignity, and a new wall of fame. On Thursday 23rd May 2024, history was made again by the self - effacing, scholarly, dependable, enthusiastic, ACC Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq., on the day of Graduation at Havard Grounds By : Sylvanus Blake, PRO - ACC and modest People’s Commissioner of the Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC), Francis Ben Kaifala Esq, (aka Keejai i.e. Alligator Pepper) as he deservingly and outstandingly bagged his Masters of Law (LLM) degree from the prestigious Harvard University Massachusetts, USA. This latest academic laurel by the buoyant FBK has further distinguished his footpath as an academic oversize in his own rights, and rightly so. FBK is one of the most accomplished young leaders Sierra Leone and Africa has produced. Since he was appointed Commissioner, FBK’s almost six - year leadership at the helm of affairs at the ACC has been distinguished by hypnotic and enviable feats across all levels in the fight against corruption, which have couched Sierra Leone’s respectable place as one of those nations making evocative headway in tackling the scourge of corruption. FBK’s academic transcript from the Harvard Law School speaks directly to his academic dexterity as he continues to annihilate academic galas seamlessly and effortlessly, thereby taking him to the summit. Francis scored an inimitable Honors (H), the highest grade anyone can score in ‘’Public Problems, Advice, Strategy, and Analysis, National Security La w, Global Anti - Corruption Law, and Global Governance, a high Pass (P) in Publi c International Law, and a respected Credit (CR) in Legal Research Writing and Analysis, making him the overall Top Performer in the 2023/24 Harvard Law School’s highly respected LLM . FBK is indeed an aptly, dangeriously, and carefully educated young man. Without gainsaying, every one of the above modules has given the ACC strong man, the much - needed knowledge, skills, and aptitude to keep spearheading our nation’s development It is worth noting that Harvard Law School’s LLM program is an intensive one - year degree program. The Graduate Program attracts intellectually curious and thoughtful candidates from a variety of legal systems and backgrounds and with various career plans. Harvard’s LLM students include lawyers working in firms, government officials, law professors, judg- es, diplomats, human rights activists, doctoral students, business people and others, Contd on Pg 4
4. Page 4 as the diversity of the program contributes significantly to the educational experience of all students at the School. Infor- mation sourced from the Law Schools website indicates that the Class of 2023 - 2024 included 182 new students from 69 countries/jurisdictions, with 98% of them being international students, 53% being women, 84% of them having at least two or more years of practice or teaching/advanced studies experience, 23% holding advanced degrees. There are 19 Fulbright Scholars in their midst, 13 Supreme or Constitutional Court clerks, 17 full or part - time law teachers, 3 judges/ magistrates, and 4 prosecutors. He went there and emerged exceptional. FBK was destined for servant hood from the onset. Before this prized Harvard Law School LLM , he held the interdisciplinary LLM in Law and Economics jointly awarded by the School of Law and the School of Economics and Finance at Queen Mary, University of London, United Kingdom, LLM in Comparative Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and International Human Rights at the University of Texas, Austin, in the USA and an alumnus of the prestigious Fulbright Scholars . He was a Senior Partner in the Law Firm ‘’Kaifala, Kanneh & Co.’’ a private firm he co - founded. He is a distinguished member of the Sierra Leone Bar with over 17 years standing. He w as a distinguished member of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC), West African Rep of the Association of Anti - Corruption Agencies of Commonwealth Africa (AAACoA), West African Rep. of the Association of African Anti - Corruption Authorities (AAACA), served as President of the Network of Anti - Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), and was the 2020 United States recognized International Anti - Corruption Champion. He was also Human Rights Scholar with the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Centre for Human Rights and Justice in Austin, Texas. Francis who attended the Sierra Leone Grammar School, graduated from Fourah Bay College among the ve ry top in his class and won the Attorney - General, Eke Ahmed Halloway Award from the University of Sierra L eone in recognition of his outstanding performance in his Undergraduate studies in 2006. At the Sierra Leone Law School in 2007 he graduated as the "Star Pupil" (Best Student) and Valedictorian and bagged several awards that year, i ncluding the Chief Justice Ade Renner - Thomas Prize for Best Student, The Prof. Alghali Prize for best All - rounder, the C.P Foray Prize for best student Equity and Trust, the Justi ce George Gelaga - King Prize for Best student in Construction of Legal Documents and Drafting , etc and remains the last Star Pupil to do so with a Second Class Upper Degree since 2007. The name Francis Ben Kaifala is sy nonymous with the top in especially the academic circle. This result - oriented leader has led the ACC and the national fight against corruption to unprecedented levels of acclamations in and outside Sierra Leone never seen in the past six years. His able and watchful lea dership has distinguished the ACC and Sierra Leone, as we continue to score admirably in all international and l ocal ratings and rankings like; the Millennium Challenge Corporations’ Scorecard on the ‘Control o f Corruption’ indicator , Afro Barometer on the Prevalence of Corruption, Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index, National Corruption Perception Survey, etc Francis an ardent Catholic Christian who was well nurtured in the ways of the Lord, has continued t o manifest a consummate appetite and keenness for the truth, righteousness, and fairness, and he spurns what is not right regardless of who did, where, when, and how it happens. He conducts himself with humility and utmost respect for all. He is an inspiration to many. Contd from Pg 1 By : Sylvanus Blake, PRO - ACC Contd from Pg 3 He further stated that at the end of the training, the Students from the 7 different countries representing 7 Teams, will be expected to make presentations on what they have learnt from the study tours and on the theme earlier mentioned. Chairman of the Commission's Advisory Board, Prince Goba Esq., took the students through a detailed and comprehensive presentation on the work of the ACC, beginning from the Legal Provisions and other Int ernational Instruments that reflects the Anti - graft Regime in the country. He dilated on the work of the various Departments and that of the Prevention, Public E ducation, Assets Declaration, Intelligence, Investigations and Prosecution stating the continued partnership with other accountabi lity bodies. This he maintained has contributed positively to the general output of the ACC, especially in the last six years, which is represented in the unprecedented performance in every local and international Indexes and Assessment s. Earlier, Director of Public Education and External Outreach Department, Patrick Sandi that chaired t he meeting introduced the ACC team comprising Directors and other staff members, whilst Commander C. Nwoko, Sponsor, Directing Staff, Nigeria, introduced the visiting team. The session was climaxed with Questions and Answers.