By Foday Moriba Conteh
On Thursday June 18, 2020 the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) conducted simultaneous sting operations on Four Mile, Six Mile and Mange Bridge COVID-19 checkpoints respectively.
This medium learnt that the operations were intelligence-led, and were in response to the numerous public concerns that security officers manning the COVID-19 checkpoints are accepting bribes, to provide passage to vehicles without E-PASSES to ply the routes, which is in violation of the directives governing the inter-district lockdown.
In the course of the operations and at the Four Mile checkpoint, officers of the Commission arrested one military officer, who allegedly received Seventy Thousand Leones (Le 70,000) as bribe to facilitate the passage of a vehicle that did not have an E-PASS.
At the Six Mile and Mange Bridge checkpoints, no officer was seen receiving bribes. However, it was clearly observed that, the security officers unlawfully allowed vehicles without E-PASSES to ply through, thereby compromising State security and undermining the COVID-19 response efforts.
It was relayed that the ACC believes this is a matter the authorities in the security sector need to address and the institution will work with them to put in place preventive measures.
The ACC is using this medium to inform the public that they will give a notification on progress relating to the investigation on the military officer who is likely to be referred to the Military justice system for administrative redress.
The Commission is reassuring the public of its continued commitment to controlling corruption at all levels, particularly in instilling integrity and sanity in the COVID-19 response activities.
