Sierra Leone May Prosecute Two Public Officials
By Olusegun Ogundeji – All eyes are keen on seeing what will become of two public officials in Sierra Leone who are yet to declare their assets contrary to a directive from the country’s anti-graft body, the Anti-Corruption Commission ACC.
Aside the fact that the coutry’s number one man had declared his assets over a year ago, this situation has been considered a test case for the newly-appointed Commissioner of ACC, Joseph Koroma who is expected to establish firmness just like his predecessor Abdul Tejan Cole in the fight to stamp out corruption in the country.
Last December, the Tejan-Cole led ACC prosecuted key government officials including two serving ministers for corrupt practises to the admiration of a great number of people.
Initially, there were six defaulters as at the beginning of the week but by the time an High Court Order compelled them to make the declaration, two of them are yet to comply.
Dr. George John Komba Kono of the Office of the Vice President and Dr. Mourie B. Kamanda an MP from the ruling All Peoples Congress APC were ordered by the court to declare their assets within 48-hours of the first publication of the court order in the newspapers. The deadline elapsed today Saturday, 2nd October 2010.
ACC has stated through its Communications Officer, Glennis Frazer, that upon expiration of the deadline, “The Commission will then be at liberty to proceed with criminal prosecution against any of the defaulters who may still not have submitted the declaration of assets form for punitive action in the form of a Le 20 million (about US$5,000) fine or one year imprisonment or both.”
