Francis Ben Kaifala, Commissioner of Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), has threatened legal action against the National Revenue Authority (NRA) and commercial banks for inadequate internal control systems.
The announcement was made during a press conference held on November 26, 2024, at the ACC’s Integrity House headquarters in Freetown.
The warning follows a case involving Salim Mansaray, a staff member at ECOBank, who embezzled 34 billion old Leones belonging to the NRA. The stolen funds were revenue payments made by taxpayers through cheques.
The Commissioner criticized the NRA for failing to detect the fraudulent activities, stating that stronger internal control systems could have prevented the theft.
He warned that if the NRA and commercial banks do not strengthen their monitoring and internal controls, he will have no choice but to take legal action against them.
Mr. Kaifala reaffirmed the ACC’s commitment to pursuing anyone who attempts to enrich themselves by stealing public funds.
More details on our subsequent editions.
