The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has, on 23rd August, 2022, through its non-conviction based asset recovery process, recovered in FULL the total sum of One Hundred and Eighty Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Three (Old) Leones (Le: 187,904,803.00) CASH, being monies which Audit Service Sierra Leone flagged as inappropriately paid from the Freetown City Council (FCC) funds, by the Council to the Head of the Mayor’s Delivery Unit. The said monies were paid to the Commission by “Interested Persons” through our civil recovery process, following negotiations in that regard.
The public however, may recall that in a Media Release dated 11th May, 2022, from the ACC, it was stated that the Commission had concluded investigation into the Freetown City Council (FCC), relating to issues highlighted on the Council in the 2019 Auditor General’s Report concerning payments of Council funds to a staff of the Mayor’s Delivery Unit. The payments totaling One Hundred and Eighty Seven Million, Nine Hundred and Four Thousand, Eight Hundred and Three (Old) Leones (Le 187,904,803) according to the 2019 Audit Report, were paid to the Head of the Mayor’s Delivery Unit (MDU).
The Commission confirmed in its investigations that the monies paid to Head of the Mayor’s Delivery Unit were not consistent with the Local Government Act of 2004 and other regulations relating to the utilization and management of public funds and resources. It therefore recommended a civil recovery process. With the payment of the aforesaid sum of money, the civil recovery process has been completed and the file has now been closed.
In that regard, the ACC wishes to reassure the general public that it will not relent in ensuring that public funds are protected, and where necessary, recovered. We thank the Audit Service Sierra Leone for their good work as one of our core partners. For further enquiries on this and other ACC matters, please contact David Y. Kabia, Public Relations Assistant, on +232-78-832-131 or by email to info@anticorruption.gov.sl.
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PATRICK SANDI
DIRECTOR, PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH
