The North West Regional Office of the Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday 9th February, 2022 concluded training on online Asset Declaration for public officers in Kambia and Karene Districts on the 22nd and 23rd February, 2022 respectively. The asset declaration process is an accountability tool drawn from section 119 with the avowed objective of instilling integrity in public life.
Explaining the significance of Asset Declaration in both districts, ACC’s Public Education Officer (PEO) Mohamed Thullah informed public officers present that the declaration process which requires public officers to declare their income, assets and liabilities has gone fully digital. He said the paper base style of declaration had huge cost on the Commission and citizens which also required a lot of time in sorting declaration forms. He noted that the Commission is now leveraging on technology and public officers will now do their declaration using their android phones, laptops and desktop as long as their devices are connected to the internet. He described the session as training of trainers wherein participants are expected to cascade similar training to other members of staff in their various institutions.
In his PowerPoint presentation to participants at the respective training sessions, the North-West Regional Manager Al-Hassan Sesay said the training will educate public officers to do their declaration using the Commission’s website: www.anticorruption.gov.sl. He said the declaration process which is done biannually requires all public officers, from grades 7 upwards and public officers with fiduciary responsibilities to declare their assets on or before March 31st every declaration year as predicated in section 119 of the 2008 of the AC Act and as amended in 2019.
Explaining key highlights of the declaration process, he pointed out that failure to declare asset could lead to administrative sanctions that may lead to dismissal or being charged to court. "When you are charged to court for failure to declare your asset or false declaration and convicted, it can lead to a fifty Million Leones fine or five years imprisonment," he emphasized. Manager Sesay demonstrated the various steps and processes involved in filling the asset declaration form online. The training was tailored for Human Resource Officers, IT and M&E officers in the respective MDS, who are expected to train staff of their institutions.
Questions, comments and concerns from participants were also part of the engagement.
© ACC North- West Office
