8th October, 2018
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Sub-Regional
Office in Kono on Wednesday 25th September, 2018 held a series of awareness
raising events on corruption issues in Sewafe Chiefdom, Kono District.
The events, which took place at various locations of the Township, targeted school authorities, pupils, timber merchants, police officers, health workers, among others. The main aim of the events is to make communities within Kono District corrupt-free.
Speaking at the Sewafe Agricultural Secondary School, the Sub Regional Manager of the ACC in Kono Wilfred Bangura said their visit to the school was to raise awareness on corruption issues in the education sector especially as the Government is implementing the Free Quality Education programme. He called on the school authorities and the pupils to embrace the programme and make it corrupt-free.
In the other engagements, Mr. Bangura spoke on the strides the ACC is making to mitigate corruption nationwide. He spoke on the timber trade and the role of forestry officers in revenue generation. He also spoke on issues of petty corruption in the health and traffic sectors. He drew the attention of the people to services provided by NGOs and public service institutions at chiefdom level, calling on them to report to the ACC any acts of bribery and petty corruption encountered.
Mr. Bangura also spoke on the various
methods of reporting to the Commission and the protective measures for whilst
blowers. He encouraged his audiences to
report incidences of corruption to the Commission’s free toll lines +23277-985985/+23277-986986,
161 (Orange), the ACC Kono land line 022-530069 or the 515 (on all networks)
for cases of bribery.
Senior Investigation Officer Momodu Sittar explained some of the offences in the Anti-Corruption Act 2008, including abuse of office, abuse of position, misappropriation of public/donor funds, possession of unexplained wealth, among others.
Mr. Sittar informed his audiences about
the penalties for such offences which include a fine of not less than Thirty Million
Leones (Le 30,000,000) or imprisonment of not less than three (3) years or both
such fine and imprisonment.
Public Education Officer Sahr Nabieu said the Commission will continue to engage chiefdom residents and stakeholders in a bid to combat corruption in the district.
On the spot visits of some public institutions in the Chiefdom climaxed the engagements.
Engagement at the Sewafe Agricultural Secondary
School
