Ref: ACC/PR/20/040 23rd December, 2020.
PRESS RELEASE
UPDATE ON ACC’S INTERVENTIONS ON AUDITOR-GENERAL’S REPORTS 2019 AND COVID-19 AUDIT REPORT (NO.2)
65 KVA GENERATOR DONATED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IS AT ITS LOCATION AT THE ZIMMI GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) wishes to inform the general public that the Generator donated by the Chinese Government to the Government of Sierra Leone that was alleged to be missing at the Zimmi Community Health Centre, Southern Sierra Leone, was duly delivered and has been at that station since.
To ensure a proper verification, after taking statements from the Permanent Secretary and other relevant personnel from the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, and upon obtaining the necessary documents concerning the generator, a team, including ACC Investigators, and an ACC Consultant Technical Engineer, were dispatched on the 22nd December, 2020 to the Zimmi Government Hospital, to do the verification of asset. They have confirmed that, indeed, the Generator is a 65 KVA Generator and not a 50 KVA Generator, exactly as indicated in the Auditor General’s Covid-19 Report 2020. However, the discrepancy in the Capacity of the generator is administrative and not due to the generator being missing. All evidence suggests that the capacity stated in the handing over certificate, i.e., 50KVA may have been mistakenly misstated by those who prepared it. That issue remains under investigation.
However, at this stage, we have sufficient evidence to confirm that there is no missing Generator and that the Generator donated by the Chinese Government is what is sitting and being used, on-site, at the Zimmi Government Hospital. All physical and technical properties, including visuals and serial numbers and markings are consistent with the same generator donated.
The ACC will continue to examine the Reports with a view to ascertaining violations of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as Amended in 2019, or needs for intervention by the ACC; and/or identify system weaknesses within the audited institutions for appropriate prevention efforts to address them.
The ACC wishes to make it very clear that anyone found wanting shall face the full consequences prescribed by law with no exceptions. In this regard, the public is encouraged to exercise patience while the Commission does a thorough review and analysis of the Reports and continues to take action as may be expedient.
For further enquiries on this and other ACC matters, please contact MORIS IBRAHIM KANTEH, AssistantPublic Relations Officeron +232-78-832131 or via emailinfo@anticorruption.gov.sl.
……………………………………
MORIS IBRAHIM KANTEH
ASSISTANT PUBLIC RELATION ASSISTANT
