April 18, 2016 By Patrick Jaiah Kamara
Just ahead of the deadline set by the Political Parties Registration Commission (PPRC) for political parties to submit their audited accounts, the Alliance Democratic Party (ADP) last Friday submitted theirs to the regulatory body.
According to the financial records, audited by Ramonic International Business Group, a total income and expenditure for the year ended 31 December 2015 was Le531, 020,000.
From that amount, the chairman and leader of the party contributed Le43, 520,000, while administrative expenditure was Le28, 520,000.
However, membership contribution was not indicated in the report.
Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray told journalists at his party’s office on Rawdon Street, Freetown, that the new party was law abiding and transparent, adding that their account was audited by an independent auditing firm.
Meanwhile, Public Relations Officer of PPRC, Lucien Momoh, said last month that the Commission would deprive any political party from participating in all political activities if they fail to submit their audited annual accounts by the end of March 2016.
However, section 20 (4) of the PPRC Act only gives the commission power to urge political parties to present their audited accounts.
The said section states that: “there shall be submitted by every Political Party to the Commission within three months after the end of every year declaration of its income, assets and liabilities together with its audited bank accounts.”
Momoh said they would send the audited accounts to the Sierra Leone Government Printing Press to be gazette.
The PRO said section 6(2)(b) of the PPRC Act gives the political parties regulatory body mandate to monitor political parties’ adherence to accountable to their members.
Momoh declined though to confirm whether any other political party has submitted their audited financial report to the commission, given that the deadline day of 31 March 31, 2016 has already elapsed.