The Southern Region office of the Ant-Corruption Commission (ACC) has, on Tuesday 8th February 2022 trained employees of Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in Moyamba with the required skills needed to fill the online assets declaration form. The training was held at the Conference Hall, Moyamba District Council, Moyamba Town.
In his statement, ACC’s Regional Manager, South, Momodu Sittar called on public sector workers to uphold public trust by exhibiting high financial sobriety in the management and utilization of public funds. The assets declaration exercise should not be misconstrued as a means to entrap Government employees but rather an exercise to enforce what is enshrined in the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended in 2019, Manager Sittar underscored. He admitted that though the paper-based assets declaration process had challenges, yet it was largely successful. He advised them not only to limit themselves to the codes of conduct guiding their operations but also should endeavor to be au fait with other laws enacted by Parliament. The Regional ACC boss pleaded with them to take the assets declaration exercise serious because they would in turn have to share with other colleagues the knowledge and skills acquired. He cautioned declarants not to make false declaration because it constitutes an offence in Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended in 2019 and upon conviction, the person pays a fine of not less than Fifty Million Leones or prison term of not less than Five years or suffer both fine and imprisonment.
The ACC Senior Public Education Officer, Abdulai Saccoh in his contribution said, the engagement was intended to inform Government employees of the transition in the assets declaration exercise, from paper-base to digital. He furthered that the engagement was also meant to increase declarant’s understanding of the processes and procedures needed to complete the online assets declaration form. Mr. Saccoh reminded the participants of the categories of person who are required by law to fill and deposit an assets declaration form to the Anti-Corruption Commission, which are; public officers in grade seven (7) and above, below grade seven (7) are with fiduciary responsibilities, persons holding elected office and Presidential appointees. He also mentioned that the online assets declaration form can be accessed on the Commission’s website at www.anticorruption.gov.sl. He furthered that it can only be filled online when the mandatory prerequisites such as, having a valid email address and either a social security number or employee identification number are made available to the system. Mr. Saccoh further informed them that computer, smart phone and any mobile device with internet facility can be used to complete and submit the form. He commended the participants for the large turn out and reminded them of the deadline for submission which is on or before 31st March, 2022, as stipulated in the ACC Act 2008 as amended in 2019
The engagement ended with a plenary session in which participants asked questions that were responded to by ACC personnel.
