By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Anti-Corruption Commissioner of Sierra Leone, Francis Ben Kaifala, emphasized the need for accountability and systemic improvements in governance during a Press Conference held at the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) Headquarters on Thursday, January 9, 2025. The event centered on the 2023 Auditor General’s Report, which was presented to Parliament in December 2024.
Francis Ben Kaifala highlighted significant lapses in governance within Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Foreign Embassies, citing the Report’s findings as indicative of recurring issues in Sierra Leone’s accountability systems. “The Auditor General’s report paints a grim picture of how governance systems are functioning,” he remarked, noting the ACC’s commitment to addressing corruption identified in the Report.
He acknowledged the constitutional mandate of Parliament over the Auditor General’s reports but stressed the ACC’s authority to act on issues of corruption. “The ACC views the Auditor General’s report as a whistleblower report, providing crucial leads for our investigations,” Francis Ben Kaifala stated. He also underscored the collaborative efforts between the ACC and Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), commending its recent progress under Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh’s leadership as chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
Underscoring key findings from the 2023 Auditor General’s Report, he detailed various anomalies highlighted in the report, including Duty Waivers without documentation in various Ministries, Departments and Agencies, amounting to million new Leones
He cited unpaid leases by private entities of which he stated that the Ministry of Agriculture was mentioned for unpaid leases on combined harvesters and dryers also amounting to millions of Leones.
Francis Ben Kaifala pointed out that among the issues in most of the Ministries, Departments, Agencies including the Office of the Chief Minister are the unavailability of staff for physical verification of documents deeming such as an administrative lapse.
The ACC Commissioner said that the Sierra Leone Chamber of Agri-Business Development failed to justify the utilization of funds amounting to millions of Leones.
He described these findings as indicative of negligence, incompetence and, in some cases, outright corruption. He criticized the lack of administrative action against responsible individuals and institutions, calling for stringent consequences to address those failures.
Francis Ben Kaifala emphasized the need for stronger supervision and accountability mechanisms in public institutions. “Delegation without follow-up leads to systemic failures,” he noted, urging leaders to take responsibility for their roles.
The ACC Commissioner also highlighted the importance of timely and transparent responses to audit queries, suggesting that administrative issues be resolved internally rather than overburdening State resources with lengthy parliamentary inquiries.
Francis Ben Kaifala concluded by reaffirming the ACC’s commitment to consult with Parliament and other stakeholders to ensure that the 2023 Auditor General’s Report leads to actionable reforms, reducing impunity and fostering accountability in Sierra Leone’s public sector.
The ACC has forwarded its analysis of the report to Parliament for review and further action. Francis Ben Kaifala expressed optimism that the collaborative efforts between the ACC and PAC would strengthen governance and promote a culture of accountability in Sierra Leone.
