By Amin Kef Sesay
Recently, Social Media has been awash with the circulation of an article published by the Africanist Press in which it was categorically stated that after two years of the release or the disbursement of $3 Million by the Government of Sierra Leone, with specific reference to the Julius Maada Bio’s led Government, money meant for the renovation and refurbishment of the Chancery Building of the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in New York nothing substantial has not been done in terms of advancing the work. The authors of the Africanist Press are insinuating or alleging that the said $3Million could have been siphoned through corrupt means by certain public officials as well as some diplomatic members of staff.
The Africanist Press furthered that the Clerk of the United States Southern District Court of New York, Ruby J. Krajick has on the 27th May, 2021 confirmed serving of the notice of motion against the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in New York to Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Davis Francis.
They continued that the Sierra Leone Government has 60 days to file a response to the notice of motion, failing which a judgement in default will be entered against its Sierra Leone Mission in New York.
On its part the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in a Press Release dated 27th May, 2021 stated that its attention has been drawn to media reports relating to the on-going renovation and refurbishment of the Chancery Building of the Permanent Mission of Sierra Leone to the United Nations in New York.
According to the Ministry, those reports are substantially incorrect and misleading and therefore would like to make certain clarifications.
It states the building in question, otherwise known as the Chancery Building, is a townhouse sharing party walls with adjacent buildings.
Furthermore, that over the past decade it had been left to significantly deteriorate to a point of not being habitable and the Mission was forced to evacuate to another building.
The Ministry made it categorically clear that a plan to completely reconstruct the entire building befitting a Permanent Mission in New York was initiated in December 2016.
It continued that the reconstruction effort, however, stalled in September 2017 due in large part to the unavailability of funds.
The Ministry further pointed out that when the New Direction Government of His Excellency President, Dr. Julius Maada Bio, assumed office in 2018, the reconstruction effort was revived with the release of funds.
It says the plan was to complete and handover for the use of the Sierra Leone Mission in New York within a short period underscoring how the structural integrity of the building when completed will create additional office space for future growth befitting a Chancery Building in New York.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry said, however, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the hostile posture of the adjacent neighbours, mindful of the imposing facelift of an adjoining structure, slowed the pace of the project.
The Ministry continued that work was set to recommence when neighbours adjacent to the building initiated legal proceedings against the Sierra Leone Mission in New York on allegations of encroachment, fire safety concerns and interference with their venting system by the Contractor.
Those allegations, according to the Press Release, will be addressed by the contractor and his sub-contractor, as they carry full responsibility for any problem emanating from their work.
The Foreign Affairs Ministry stated how it is worthy to note that the construction work is fully covered by the construction insurance obtained by the contractor and sub-contractor and the Mission and by extension the Government of Sierra Leone are indemnified in that regard.
It continued that the construction project has a safety engineer who inspects the project at every stage to ensure that all safety requirements are strictly adhered to saying in addition, the New York Department of Building monitors every stage of the construction with a view to ensuring all materials used, as well as installations done, meet the required standards.
The Release stated how the Sierra Leone Mission in New York attempted to intervene and open up channels of communication for dialogue with the neighbours, but the neighbours proved to be non- cooperative.
That the Mission further requested the State Department to facilitate a peaceful resolution of the allegations made by the neighbours but that also failed due to the hostility of the neighbours.
It concluded by stating that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation will continue to work with the Mission in New York to ensure that the contractor and his sub-contractor resolve the legal issue and to also comply with all required regulations and laws of the host Government of the United States and the State of New York.
In a related development, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has also said that its attention had been drawn to allegations of grand corruption with regard the renovation and/or re-construction of the Sierra Leone Chancery Building in Manhattan, New York City, United States of America involving over Four Million United States Dollars (USD $4,000,000.00) transferred for that purpose since 2011 to 2019.
The Commission stated that it wishes it to be known that it had commenced forensic and comprehensive investigations into the allegations and that the Head of Chancery and other persons of interest to the management of the finances of the Chancery have been recalled to post, to assist with the speedy investigation and conclusion of the investigations.
The ACC continued that statements are being taken from them and have been kept in custody since the 28th May, 2021.
“We have also recovered documents and records relevant to the investigation and they are being analysed by our forensic analysts,” the ACC concluded assuring the Public will be promptly informed of progress made with the investigations.
