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Sierra Leone’s Former Deputy Auditor General of Sierra Leone, Tamba Momoh, has issued a detailed response to a recent press release from the Office of the Press Secretary at State House.
The said release addressed the suspension of Mrs. Lara Taylor-Pearce, Auditor General himself.
According to report, the deputy former Auditor Geeral was suspended on November 11, 2021, due to alleged “professional performance or the lack thereof” related to an audit conducted on the Office of the President for the financial year 2020 for which he has defended greatly.
In his defence, he revealed his relentless service and commitment since joining the Audit Service Sierra Leone in 2009, mentioning key audits he authored, such as those on Sierra Leone’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations, Management of Ebola Funds, Management of COVID-19 Response, and a technical audit of various sectors requested by the SLPP-led government in 2018.
In his response, he maintained that is a crucial procedural issue raised by his legal team at the inaugural Tribunal hearing on March 17, 2022. His lawyer, Mohamed Pa-Momo Fofanah Esq., argued that the Tribunal lacked jurisdiction over him, asserting that the Audit Service Board, as per the Audit Service Act 2014, was the appropriate body to conduct such investigations. Despite the Tribunal’s and Attorney General’s opposition to this preliminary objection, the matter concerning Mr. Momoh was eventually referred to the Audit Service Board.
Despite his reservations about the Tribunal’s process, Mr. Momoh continued to cooperate through his legal representatives until the Tribunal’s proceedings concluded on December 16, 2023. He resigned from the Audit Service Sierra Leone on July 30, 2023. On June 12, 2024, Mr. Momoh attended a meeting where the Tribunal announced that it had completed its report, which would be presented to the President. However, Mr. Momoh and his lawyers have yet to receive a copy of this report despite repeated requests.
Expressing his shock at the Tribunal’s recommendation for his removal from an organization he no longer works for, Mr. Momoh has publicly requested the Attorney General to present the alleged case of professional misconduct to three prominent professional accountancy bodies:
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sierra Leone (ICASL), The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), UK, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE), USA
He reaffirmed his professional integrity and the high standards he has upheld throughout his career, which began in the UK in 2003.
He assured Sierra Leoneans and friends of Sierra Leone that the true facts about this case would eventually come to light. He expressed gratitude to his supporters and legal team, maintaining his stance of having done nothing wrong or unprofessional during his tenure at the Audit Service Sierra Leone.
