The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Sierra Leone has on Monday 4 April 2022 informed public officers to declare their income, assets and liabilities that they have extended the deadline for the 2022 declaration exercise.

According to ACC, pursuant to Section 119, Subsection 4 of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 as amended in 2019, which states; “Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (1), the Commission may in any particular case, for good cause, extend the time for the furnishing of a declaration for a period not exceeding six months”; the Commission has extended the deadline for the 2022 declaration exercise which elapsed on 31st March, 2022, for another two weeks, beginning Monday 4th April, 2022 and will end on Tuesday 19th April, 2022.

The Commission further informed the public that there will be no other extension and once the above stated deadline expires, it will invoke the necessary compliance provisions in the AC Act of 2008 as amended in 2019, to ensure that public officers declare their income, assets and liabilities.

Section 122 of the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Act 2019 provides that, “A public officer who, without reasonable cause, fails to submit his/her Assets Declaration Form or knowingly records false, inaccurate or misleading information in the declaration form shall, in addition to any other penalty imposed under this Act, be liable to administrative sanctions as set out in Sub-section (5)”as follows:

a) Withholding the salary of the Public Officer; b) Suspend the Public Officer after one month of default but not more than three months; and c) Dismiss the Public Officer after exceeding three months (This does not apply to Positions for which removal from office is stipulated in the Constitution but applies to all other positions).

The ACC further informed public officers that, declarations can be done online through the Commission’s website: www.anticorruption.gov.sl. They can also visit the ACC offices across the country and obtain a Declaration Form to fill and return.