Councillors at the Freetown City Council (FCC) have raised serious concerns over the disappearance of a heavy-duty truck donated by the Japanese government, alleging interference, lack of accountability and growing tension between the Council and its Chief Administrator.

The concerns were made public during council deliberations, where councillors linked the missing vehicle to what they described as ongoing administrative challenges within the FCC.

According to Councillor Emile B. Turay, Chairman of the Council’s Committee on Transport and Street Parking, the heavy-duty truck, valued at over US$400,000, was secured through support from the Japanese government to assist with city cleaning operations.

Turay said the vehicle had significantly improved sanitation efforts in Freetown and reduced the Council’s reliance on outsourced services. However, when his committee attempted to verify the truck’s condition and location at the Council’s works compound, they were informed by the engineer in charge of the garage that the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) had towed the vehicle away.

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He said the removal was done without the knowledge or approval of either the committee or the Council. Turay added that when councillors contacted the SLRSA for clarification, they were told that the vehicle had already been vandalized.

Following the development, the matter was reported to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Turay stated that during investigations, the garage supervisor, identified as Ady, later admitted that the truck was not towed by the SLRSA but was instead being kept in a restricted location that committee members could not access.

Turay further alleged that when Ady was detained by the CID, the Chief Administrator of the Freetown City Council, Rahman Tom Farma, personally intervened to secure his release. He added that information available to the Council suggests that the main suspect in the case, a man known as “Bomba,” is currently on the run.

According to Turay, the Chief Administrator has continued to downplay the seriousness of the incident, warning that such an approach could result in the permanent loss of the vehicle without anyone being held accountable.

The issue of the missing truck emerged amid broader complaints by councillors over what they described as repeated acts of disrespect by the Chief Administrator toward the authority and structures of the Council. Councillor Unisa Kamara cited Section 32(6) of the Local Government Act, which states that the Chief Administrator should be appointed by the Mayor. He alleged that the Ministry of Local Government imposed Farma on the Council.

Kamara said development across Freetown has slowed because the Chief Administrator has refused to work with elected councillors and the Mayor. He alleged that Farma considers himself answerable only to the central government and therefore does not take instructions from the Mayor.

He further claimed that for more than two weeks, the Chief Administrator has refused to sign documents intended to fast-track development projects in the city, despite repeated requests from the Mayor. Kamara also accused Farma of refusing to recognize resolutions passed by Council committees, even though the Local Government Act gives councillors the authority to establish committees and pass resolutions.

According to Kamara, even resolutions approved by a majority vote of councillors are ignored, a situation he said is contributing to stagnation in municipal development.

As of the time of reporting, the Chief Administrator had not publicly responded to the allegations raised by councillors. The status of the missing heavy-duty truck remains unclear, while investigations are said to be ongoing.