By: Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Assistant, ACC
In a groundbreaking Press Conference held today, 26th November 2024, at the Conference Room, Integrity House, Tower Hill Freetown, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) revealed and displayed recovered funds in the tune of the whopping sum of 34.8 Billion Leones (old) of stolen public funds.
The recovered funds, initially siphoned from taxes paid by companies to the National Revenue Authority (NRA), were funneled into private Accounts and subsequently withdrawn by individuals in a fraudulent scheme.
Delivering his address at the occasion, the ACC Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq., reiterated that this recovery highlights the Commission's unwavering commitment to combating corruption through prevention, enforcement, and public education. He further noted that such recoveries represent a robust effort to not only highlight the dangers of corruption but also demonstrate tangible results in combating the scourge.
"We have always maintained that our focus is not only on pursuing and punishing corrupt individuals but also on ensuring that all stolen funds are recovered in full," ACC Commissioner averred.
He furthered that the recovered amount is part of the 34.8 billion Leones paid as taxes to the NRA but fraudulently diverted by Abdul Salim Mansaray, a former Head of Retail Operations at Ecobank, and his accomplices. Salim, who he disclosed initially fled to Dubai, was apprehended after the Commission froze his Bank Accounts. He has since been convicted and is now cooperating to aid further investigations and ensure all those involved in the scheme are brought to book, Francis Ben Kaifala added.
The Commissioner commended Ecobank for promptly refunding the stolen funds but issued a stern warning to all financial institutions. "Any institution that fails to establish robust systems to protect public funds will face the same consequences. They will either refund every stolen dime or be charged to court," he stated.
He further noted that the Bank of Sierra Leone, Heads of Commercial Banks, and the NRA have been engaged to implement stronger systems to detect and prevent such financial discrepancies.
Earlier, the Director of Public Education and Outreach, ACC, Patrick Sandi, highlighted the importance of such public displays of recovered funds. He noted that this is the second public display of recovered monies and it is an effective transparency tool and a powerful public education strategy whilst maintaining that this significant posture further validates that the country is on the right trajectory in the fight against corruption.
It could be recalled that early this year (2024) the Commission made a similar staggering one-off recovery of monies that totalled 8.6 Billion (Old) Leones stolen by some staff of the SLRA and Accountant Generals Department. Notably, the recoveries made by the Commission since 2018 now total over 80 Billion (Old) Leones cumulative sum from the corrupts and returned to the State as part of the Commission's buoyant posture to making Corruption an unfashionable, unprofitable and very high-risk enterprise that comes with punitive sanctions and consequences.
