By Foday Moriba Conteh
During a Press Conference held on Tuesday 31st March, 2020 at its Gloucester Street Head Office in Freetown, the Anti-Corruption Commission disclosed that it has filed an indictment against Alpha Osman Timbo, the Minister of Labour and Social Security (MLSS),who was also former Minister of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), of No. 17 Jalloh Street, Wellington, Freetown
The ACC also indicted Emily Kadiatu Gogra, Deputy Minister, MBSSE of No. 9 Wharf Lane, Shell, Freetown; Charles Tom Kamanda, the Permanent Secretary, MBSSE of H.S 28 Hill Station, Freetown; Mamusu Massaquoi, Director of Nutrition, School Feeding, MBSSE of No. 8 Emmerson Bockarie Drive, Adonkia Freetown; and Zainab Binta Kamara, a business woman of the Lion Inn, No. 16 Wilkinson Road, Freetown, on Fifteen (15) count charges of corruption offences including Misappropriation of Public Property, Contrary to Section 36(1); Failure to Comply with Applicable Procedures and Guidelines, Contrary to Section 48(2)(b); Conspiracy to Commit a Corruption Offence, Contrary to Section 128; Converting Property Knowing same to be Proceeds of Corruption for the Purpose of Disguising the Illicit Origin, Contrary to Section 52(1)(a); and Abuse of Office, Contrary to Section 42(1), of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12, of 2008 respectively.
Justifying the charges, the Anti-Corruption Commissioner Ben Kaifala said that between October, 2019 and December 2019, Alpha Osman Timbo, in his then capacity as Minister, (MBSSE) Emily Kadiatu Gogra, as Deputy Minister (MBSSE) and Charles Tom Kamanda, as Permanent Secretary (MBSSE) misappropriated public property to wit: Forty-Nine thousand bags of 50 Kg rice, meant for the school feeding programme.
According to what was intimated by the ACC all three of them face jointly one (1) Count of Misappropriation of Public Property Contrary to Section 36(1), one (1) Count of Failure to Comply with Applicable Procedures and Guidelines, Contrary to Section 48(2) (b), one (1) Count of Conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, Contrary to Section 128, and one (1) Count of Abuse of Office Contrary to Section 42(1), of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12, of 2008.
The ACC stated that Mamusu Massaquoi, as Director of Nutrition, School Feeding, MBSSE, between October 2019 and December 2019, misappropriated public property to wit: Forty-Nine thousand bags of 50Kg rice, adding that she faces one (1) Count Charge of Misappropriation of Public Property, Contrary to Section 36(1), one (1) Count Charge of Conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, Contrary to Section 128, and three (3) Count Charges of Abuse of Office, Contrary to Section 42(1), of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12, of 2008.
He noted that Zainab Binta Kamara, on the other hand, as business woman, between October 2019 and November 2019, converted property to wit: Four thousand, one hundred bags of 50Kg rice, meant for the school feeding programme and that she faces one (1) Count Charge of Misappropriation of Public Property Contrary to Section 36(1), one (1) Count Charge of Conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, Contrary to Section 128, one (1) Count Charge of Converting property knowing such property to be Proceeds of Corruption for the purpose of Disguising the Illicit Origin, Contrary to Section 52(1)(a), one (1) Count Charge of Concealing the True Nature of Property which is the Proceeds of Corruption, Contrary to Section 52(1)(b), and one (1) Count Charge of Possessing property knowing same to be the Proceeds of Corruption, Contrary to Section 52(1)(c), of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12, of 2008.
“Meanwhile, the indicted persons are expected to appear in the High Court Holden at Freetown on a date to be set by the Master and Registrar.
The Commission reassures the general public of its determination to curb graft at all levels in Sierra Leone.
