By Amin Kef-Ranger
In a Public Notice issued by the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, dated 1st July, 2022, it was categorically stated that pursuant to the recommendations of Justice Annan Atuguba Commission of Inquiry, No. 67 of 2018 and the Government White Paper 2020, Captain Benjamin O.N. Davies and Alhaji Ibrahim Kemoh Sesay are to pay the sums of USD 1,600,000 (One Million, Six Hundred Thousand United State Dollars) and USD 135,000 (One Hundred and Thirty-Five Thousand United State Dollars) respectively.
According to the Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice, the Commission discovered, among other things, that Captain Benjamin O.N. Davies masterminded the irregular and corrupt award of the contract for the purchase of a pilot boat at US$ 1,600,000, to a company called Davis and Dann.
It continued that the Commission also found that the said company supplied an Iveco engine which is cheaper and less robust than that of a caterpillar as was stipulated in the contract document and ordered that the whole purchase price of the pilot boat should be recovered from him.
The Office of the Attorney-General and Ministry of Justice said Alhaji Ibrahim Kemoh Sesay is to refund to the State the sum of US$ 135,000 for the fraudulent grant and sale of property situate lying and being at and known as nursery land at Regent Road, Regent, Hill Station, and Freetown which formed part of the subject matter of the Commission of Inquiry 2018.
The said amounts, according to the Ministry, are to be paid into the Commission of Inquiry Special Recovery Bank of Sierra Leone Account within fourteen days of the receipt of letters served.
It was stated that further legal steps will be adopted to enforce compliance of the said order.
