By Amin Kef (Ranger)
In a resounding decision, Parliament granted renewed tenure to Francis Ben Kaifala Esq, as Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for a second term, commending his exceptional achievements in the battle against corruption.
His re-appointment was endorsed on July 27, 2023, in accordance with the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 as Amended in 2019.
Renewal of his mandate by President Bio on July 19, 2023 came in the wake of his outstanding performance and significant strides made in the fight against corruption during his initial five-year term.
During a parliamentary session, predominantly geared towards the vetting of the recent Presidential appointees, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, Leader of Government Business, praised the Commissioner for his groundbreaking efforts in tackling corruption in Sierra Leone.
During his interview by the Appointments Committee, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. expressed his commitment to intensify the anti-corruption crusade, stating, “Corruption is very serious and we will treat any information we receive with confidence and seriously so that people making reports to the ACC will believe that no one will go unpunished for acts of corruption.”
It must be noted that during his first tenure as ACC Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. achieved significant progress in the fight against corruption, leading to outstanding scores in the ‘Control of Corruption’ indicator in the Millennium Challenge Corporation Scorecard.
Additionally, Sierra Leone ranked 110 out of 180 countries in the 2022 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (CPI), scoring 34 points above the Sub-Saharan average.
Under his leadership, the ACC successfully recovered public funds amounting to over 45 Billion (Old) Leones, along with a two-storey building and two Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles through its Non-Conviction based Asset Recovery approach.
The Commission also conducted thorough reviews of systems and processes in Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), established effective Integrity Management Committees in MDAs and conducted robust nationwide public education and awareness campaigns.
Expressing his gratitude upon his re-appointment, Ben Kaifala stated, “I thank His Excellency President Bio for the confidence reposed in me again, and promise that the fight against corruption will be fiercer and stronger in Sierra Leone.”
Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. is a highly qualified legal professional with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) Degree with Honors from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. He was called to the Sierra Leone Bar in 2007 after passing the Sierra Leone Law School’s Bar Examinations. He holds LL.M degrees in International Financial Law and Economics from Queen Mary University of London, as well as Comparative Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and International Human Rights Law from the University of Texas at Austin.
He was also recognized with numerous local and international awards, including being honored as one of 12 Global “International Anti-Corruption Champions” by the Department of State of the United States of America in 2021.
His exceptional leadership and results earned him recognition as an Obama Africa Leader in 2019 and an Arch-Bishop Desmond Tutu Fellow in 2022.
