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CARL urges for support in fighting corruption in Sierra Leone

  • CARL Executive Director, Ibrahim Tommy

By Politico Staff Writer

The Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL) has urged Sierra Leoneans to demonstrate unwavering support for ongoing anti-corruption efforts in the country, pointing out that the scourge of corruption remains a binding constraint to the country’s development aspirations.

A press release from the organization quoted its Executive Director, Ibrahim Tommy as saying that “corruption has inflicted unquantifiable damage to our country since Independence, and sadly, it is still prevalent and pervasive. There is no doubt, however, that if we work cooperatively, we can minimize the scourge of corruption through various measures of education, prevention, investigation and resolution”.

CARL says both local and international assessments suggested that the country has been making some progress in the fight against corruption, though it admitted that significant challenges persist.

It made reference to ongoing efforts of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), and the government’s setting up of three Commissions of Inquiry to investigate the stewardship of key members of the previous administration, examine their assets and investigate whether such assets were acquired lawfully or unlawfully.

In response to the reports of the three commissions, the government issued a White Paper indicating its position on the recommendations.  CARL pointed out that since the White Paper was made public, many complaints have been expressed – and some of them justifiably – by persons against whom adverse findings were made. The organizations urged that such persons use the courts to resolve their grievances and whilst arguing that some of those procedural issues and unfair recommendations complained of could have been avoided, it further noted that such complaints by no means de-legitimize the Commissions of Inquiry or the White Paper and that the latter remain legitimate and binding until they are overturned by an appellate court.

 CARL also applauded the decision of President Julius Maada Bio to suspend serving public servants who were named in the report, pending the outcome of their appeals. It has also encouraged the judiciary to look into the complaints expeditiously and fairly, taking into consideration the huge public interest in the matter.

On the ongoing investigation of former government officials by the Anti-Corruption Commission, including former President Ernest Bai Koroma, CARL stressed that as a former president of this country, Koroma deserved all the respect our laws and customs confer on him and that similarly, as a law-abiding citizen, he should cooperate fully with ongoing investigations into his 11-year stewardship as President of Sierra Leone, reminding him of his past statements in which he had expressed his commitment to the fight against corruption, and that the ongoing investigations present ‘’an opportunity for him to once again demonstrate that commitment and to clear his name’’.

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