By Edward Vamboi
In a Press Release issued by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) dated the 4th January, 2021 the institution stated that it has recovered the sum of Five Million, Two Hundred and Sixteen Thousand, Four Hundred Leones (Le 5,216,400), which, according to the COVID-19 Audit Report 2020, were funds allocated to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, but which some officials of the Ministry used to buy personal high-end gadgets without following proper processes and procedures as per the Public Finance Management Regulations.
The ACC said according to the COVID-19 Audit Report 2020 by the Audit Service Sierra Leone, the said personal high end gadgets were delivered to one Sahr Steve Yambasu of the Ministry. The said items were said to have been authorized and bought by the Permanent Secretary, Abdul Rahman Musa Fofanah, for the use of the Minister of Health, to facilitate Zoom and other online meetings.
It highlighted that the items were bought for the purpose of facilitating zoom meetings by the Minister following the need for more reliance on virtual meetings where such gadgets would be necessary.
However, the ACC noted that the officials did not follow proper procurement and documentary processes to ensure the purchase was according to public finance management directives of the State.
As a result, it continued, the said Permanent Secretary, Abdul Rahman Musa Fofanah, was given 24 hours to produce the full refund to the State or face the full force of the law; which he has done by making a full immediate payment to the ACC for onward payment into the Consolidated Revenue Fund.
It furthered that the ACC will continue to examine both the Auditor-General’s Report 2019 and the COVID-19 Audit Report with a view to ascertaining violations of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as Amended in 2019, or needs for intervention by the ACC; and/or identify system weaknesses within the audited institutions for appropriate prevention efforts to address them.
