...as ACC exonerates parliamentarians
July 31, 2015 By Mohamed Massaquoi
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has written an official letter to the Speaker of the House of Parliament, Hon. S.B.B. Dumbuya, regarding their investigation into the alleged corruption case against members of the Public Account Committee in Parliament.
It could be recalled that Mayor Joseph S. Keifala of the Kenema City Council, some months ago, accused MPs of soliciting a bribe of Le20 million before the approval of his council’s 2015 budget. This development warranted the Majority Leader, Hon. Ibrahim Bundu, to refer the matter to the ACC for investigation.
The Director of Public Education and Outreach Department of the ACC, Madam Koloneh Sankoh, said in an interview that they had conducted serious investigation into the matter and that Mayor Keifala was unable to prove his case.
“We have investigated the matter and there is no evidence against the MPs,” she said. “We have written a letter to the House and we will come out with a press release soon. I will not say that the Mayor acted maliciously but I think he acted to protect his council. That is the end of this matter except there is another issue.”
Mayor Keifala had told parliamentarians that it was his Deputy Chief Administrator, Alie Fofanah, who attended the sitting of 26th November 2014 to defend the council’s 2014 budget, but was asked by the Finance Committee to stand down as their documents were not in order.
The Mayor also informed Parliament that his Deputy Chief Administrator had told him there was a request for Le20 million made by MPs, allegedly agreed by the president of the Local Councils Association, Mr. Munir Fofanah of the Port Loko District Council, before the approval of their 2015 budget; a request Mayor Keifala refused to honour stating that he could not afford that amount.