3. Page 3 I n what can be described as an intensive four days training in Pretoria, South Africa from 15th - 18th April, 2024, two staff of the Anti - Corruption Commission, Sierra Leone (ACC - SL) are currently participating in the Regional Peer Exchange Training on Advancing Anti - Corruption in Africa through Beneficial Ownership Transparency (BOT). These staff members are, the Chief Investigations Officer; Joseph B. Noah and Inv estigation Officer, Augusta Umu Lavalie, from the Intelligence and Investigations Department. The program which is organized by the Open Ownership, Commonwealth Africa Anti - Corruption Centre (CAACC) and the United Nations Office on Drug and Crime (UNODC), brings together representatives of various An ti - graft Agencies, Financial Intelligence Institutions and Corporate bodies. The capacity building program has as its primary goals, supporting the Implementation of BOT through advocacy, peer learning and training activities, and cultivating technical capacity of these agencies to use d ata in financial investigations and further fostering a share of practical strategies between and among participat ing countries to address Common Challenges in the Implementation of Beneficial Ownership (BO). Sierra Leone is amongst the six selected CAACC member countries implementing the BOT, in cluding Botswana, Estiwani, Lesotho, Malawi and Namibia. These countries will also benefit from exchanges from advance implementing countries, share lessons on implementation and inspire progress. The four - day training will also delve into relevant topics notably; Financial Intelligence, Effective T racing of Funds, Toolkit to Scrutinize Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), among others. The ACC staff are benefiting from this important training together with three other officer s of the Financial Intelligence Unit, a partner institution to the ACC and the Corporate Affairs Commission . Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Assistant, ACC Chief Investigations Officer, Joseph B. Noah and Investigation Officer, Augusta Umu Lavalie at the event Group Photo taken after the first day of the engagement

4. Page 4 values, objectives, and principles of the project and seeks to facilitate a participatory community dialogue and beneficiary verification exercise, which will allow for unbiased targeting, line listing, verification, and enrollment of potential beneficiary households for the aged cash transfer program based on the number of aged in the community . The Deputy Commissioner admonished all present at the training to continue to display the highest level of dedication to the delivery of PSSNYE project, as was done for the implementation of the just - concluded Social Safety Net (SSN) project. He said they should ensure that every identified community was visited and the needful done, regardless of the difficulties in accessing some of these communities. “All of us gathered here are fully aware of the enormity of the tasks ahead of us. We have to ensure we reach every locality that we are required to reach, and talk to everyone we are required to talk to, he said. Mr Ngobie said the ACC will monitor the process and ensure due diligence is done. “We do not want excuses at this stage. We have done it before, and we believe all of us here have what it takes to do this again in an even better way with far better results than before,” he said while also encouraging all the stakeholders to ensure that the objectives of the project are achieved . “Any attempt by anyone to do things improperly or wrongly will be picked up and such person(s) will be held fully accountable,” he said. The ACC Deputy Commissioner encouraged everyone to feel free to contact their respective Institutions and/or the ACC and NaCSA in the event of any constraints, assuring them that every effort aimed at ensuring the smooth and effective implementation of the project was underway. “My presence here and the presence of the leadership of the other stakeholder institutions involved in the roll - out of the PSSNYE at all levels, from planning, implementation, and evaluation, should continue to reassure you that this project is dear and integral to the Government and people of Sierra Leone,” Mr. Ngobie said. He told them to abstain from all forms of dishonesty in the line listing and registration of beneficiaries. He stated that the 8515 toll - free grievance/complaint line manned by the ACC was in full operation and should be popularized across all communities . It could be recalled that in March 2022, the World Bank and the Government of Sierra Leone approved theUS$40.0 million PSSNYE Project, with an expected project implementation period of five years. The project will provide the much - needed technical and financial support to the Government to advance the agenda of social protection and jobs. The current trend in social protection however prioritizes the universal inclusion of vulnerable persons and populations at risk including the aged. With funding from the World Bank through NaCSA, the Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security in collaboration with the National of Social Protection Secretariat (NSPS) embarked on mass registration of the country’s population 60 years and above, in April 2023.The registration exercise was conducted in all sixteen (16) districts across the country with a total of 154,066 in 150 chiefdoms, 752 sections, and 3,336 communities registered. The total number of aged Household Heads registered was 84,662. The pending enrollment of beneficiaries will cover the ten districts of Bo, Bonthe, Moyamba, Kailahun, Kono, Bombali, Tonkolili, Port Loko, Kambia, and Koinadugu, with each beneficiary house- hold receiving two tranches of $: 45 equivalent in Leones. By Sylvanus Blake, PRO, ACC Contd from Pg 1 Trainees listening attentively to the Deputy Commissioner Augustine Foday Ngobie

2. Page 2 T he Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC) has engaged Ministries , Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the popularization of the three systems review report conducted by the Prevention Department of the ACC with support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA). The engagement which took place in Moyamba, Bonthe and Bo Districts respectively was to popularize the contents of the three Systems Review Report on the National Telecommunication Authority (NaTCA), Ministry of Water Resources and the Sierra Le- one National Fire Force (SLNFF). With teams set up for the popularization of the three systems report, the Director of Public Education and External Outreach Department of the ACC, Patrick Sandi and his team embarked on a three - day popularization in the Southern region. The three - day engagements took place in the Mo- yamba District Council Hall, Bonthe District Council Hall - Mattru Jong and the Bo City Council Chambers respectively on the 17 th , 18 th and 19 th April, 2024. Highlighting the contents of the three Systems Review Reports, Patrick Sandi said that the Commission’s goal is to minimize corruption which is why systems reviews are conducted in MDAs to reduce the risk of corruption or corrupt practices in institutions. He told the participants that the Commission is popularizing the reports across regions so that public servants who are working in the regions get the opportunity to know the contents of the reports and to ask questions on areas they do not understand. Patrick Sandi furthered that the issues found in the reports cut across almost all MDAs in terms of fleet and fuel management, proper documentations, procurement, Human Resource, Audit etc. He urged MDAs to implement the recommendations proffered by the ACC in order to strengthen those weaknesses identified and avoid sanctions up- on failure to comply. He added that the Commission believes in corruption prevention “An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of flesh” he underscored. Director Sandi encouraged MDAs to collaborate with the ACC to combat corruption in their institutions by complying with implementation of the recommendations in the Reports. Concluding his presentation, Mr. Sandi encouraged public officers re- quired by law to declare their in- The engagement with MDAs at the Bonthe District Council in Mattru Jong Amie Massaquoi, Information Officer, ACC. Director, Public Education and Out- reach, ACC Patrick Sandi (standing) explaining the contents of the Reports in Moyamba come, assets and liabilities to do so before the extended deadline of April, 30, as 2024 is a declara- tion year. Giving an overview of the roles and functions of the Prevention Department, Information Officer ACC, Amie Massaquoi, said as mandated in Section 7 and 8 of the Anti - Corruption Act of 2008 as amend- ed in 2019, the Prevention Department functions as a tool to prevent corruption in institutions by assessing systemic gaps and proffering recommendations and ensuring Institutions comply with implementations. She said the Prevention Department is one of the strategic arms of the Commission, with three units which are; the Systems and Processes Review, Monitoring and Compliance and Policy and Ethics Units, with separate roles and functions to play within the Department. In a bid to prevent corruption in MDAs, the prevention Department of the ACC conducts robust and comprehensive Systems Review in MDAs. Earlier in the engagement, Public Education Officer, Hawa Deen Conteh who spoke on the purpose of the meeting gave a brief update on the work of the Commission and the fight against corruption, highlighting the huge recoveries made, International and National accolades bagged, ACC’s progress in International Indexes etc. The meetings were chaired in Moyamba by Mohamed A. Kabba, the Deputy Chief Administrator, Moyamba District Council; in Mattru Jong by Hassan M. Sheriff the Human Resource Officer, Bonthe District Council, and in Bo, by Henry Powell, the Ag. Chief Administrator, Bo City Council. They emphasized on the good work of the ACC and urged MDAs to comply with recommendations contained in the Reports to ensure and enhance effective service delivery.

1. 22nd — 26th April 2024 Issue 2 Volume 14 INTEGRITY HOUSE, TOWER HILL FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR - IN - CHIEF Abubakarr Turay EDITORS Sylvanus Blake Alex A. Bah LAYOUT & GRAPHICS Philippa M. Davies EDITORIAL ADVISERS Augustine Foday Ngobie Patrick Sandi national Limited is the sixth edition tagged as AFRICA 100 set to hold in Accra, Ghana Brit- ish Council on the 13th April, 2024, in a Convergence and Award Ceremony that will bring together Influential Leaders from across all sectors of the Continent. This edition which is themed THE EXCEPTIONALS 2024, aims to recognize and celebrate exceptional Young African individuals who have broken the norm to create a pathway to success for themselves and their immediate community. Francis Ben Kaifala Esq., who has won previous editions of this award since its debut, is the only Sierra Leonean in the covetous list, validating the recognition of his efforts and excellence in revolutionizing the fight Against Graft in the Continent. The former Board Member of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC) and former President of the Network of Anti - Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA), is a leading figure in the fight against corruption in Africa, as his leadership ha s seen Sierra Leone rise from failing positions in all global indexes and assessments, to remarkably unprecedented Successes marking his tenure. In a Face book post shared by the US Government Anti - Corruption Champion, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. on the said award, he remarked "It’s been 6 straight years of representing Sierra Leone among eminent Young people in this annual listing of 100 Most Influential Young African Leaders." He added that the Continent's currently looks "youthful and ready", as he was also appointed as the Youngest to have ever held the capacity since the Commission was established, and his tenure has been nothing short of magical successes. T he Commissioner of Sierra Leone's Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC), Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. has for the 6 th consecutive time emerged to be on the List of the 100 Most Influential Young Africans Award 2024, by the Pan African Youth Leadership. The award which is organized by the Pan African Youth Leadership Foundation, in partnership with Rehoboth Hills Inter- Contd on pg 4 By: Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Assistant, ACC By Sylvanus Blake, PRO, ACC Deputy Commissioner ACC , Augustine Foday Ngobie addressing stakeholders at the training T he Deputy Commi ssioner of the Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC) Sierra Leone Au- gustine Foday Ngobie has told hundreds of train- ees and enumerators of the Productive and So- cial Safety Net and Youth Employment (PSSNYE) project to uphold integrity, be diligent, patriotic and work within the established rules and best practices to ensure a successful implementation of the World Bank - supported project. He made this statement while addressing them at the Conference Hall of the New Connection Hotel, Kabia Drive in Makeni on the 16 th of April, 2024. The training brought together staff of the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), ACC, Ministry of Employment, Labour and Social Security (MELSS), Statistics Sierra Le- one, and Orange Mobile Company, who will be deployed for the registration and enrollment of 154,066 aged and vulnerable beneficiaries in ten districts in Sierra Leone. It is aimed at refreshing participants on the core