Dr. Samura Kamara is very likely to walk out a free man from the investigation conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on being part of an alleged misuse of over USD4 million provided by the government of Sierra Leone for renovation of the country’s Chancery building in New York, USA.
This summation comes from source inside the ACC who disclosed to The Exclusive that the investigation into the role of Dr. Samura as the then Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Minister when the first disbursement of money for the said renovation was made has been completed.
The source said ACC was dismayed by the public reaction to invitation for questioning of Dr. Samura Kamara because not only him but other government officials then and now that were central to the investigation were also invited to tell their own sides of the story without the knowledge of the public.
Dr. Samura Kamara, as such, the ACC source said, was only invited to help clarify issues bordering on the investigation and was not assumed guilty of any wrongdoing before conclusion of the investigation.
The investigation now concluded, The Exclusive was informed that the file has now be sent to the office if the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for its opinion and recommendation on the findings made by ACC to determine if, among other things, Dr. Samura Kamara has any case to answer. This would determine whether he should be charged to court or set free because of lack of sufficient evidence to prosecute him.
“From what I know,” the ACC source confided, “Dr. Samura Kamara has over 80 percent chance of walking free from that Chancery building probe.”
Meanwhile, it is known that several government officials that had a hand in the chopping of the money have bargained with the ACC quietly to refund what they squandered and are reported to be paying back quietly on agreed installments.
It could be recalled that, early this year, a US based online whistle-blower Africanist Press shouted loudly that over USD4 million appropriated for the New York Chancery building was largely chopped by those in charge of its disbursement in tranches and the contractor from the period 2011 to 2019.
As usual, the public outcry that ensued was huge. ACC feeling the public pulse announced that it had gotten wind of the information and was going to mount an investigation immediately.
The Exclusive Newspaper reported that, ACC issued a statement at the end of May 2021 that it had “commenced forensic and comprehensive investigations” into the misuse of USD4 million. Four senior Mission personnel were immediately recalled from New York by the ACC to help with the investigation.
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