The Ministry of Finance has on the 12th January 2024 confirmed that some staff at the Ministry have been involved into an alleged diversion of public Funds into a fictitious account opened at the Kabala Community Bank.

It was clarified that their Deputy Director of Budget, Jacob Tenga Senessie, connived with the Principal Accountant at the Accountant General’s Department, John Ellie, the Accounting Officer at the Sierra Leone Roads Authority, Emmanuel Smart, and other staff of the Accountant General’s Department to allegedly divert 5 Billion Old Leones ($270,000) to a fictitious account at the Kabala Community Bank as payments to Edward Davies and Associates for work done on the construction of the Kenema-Pendembu Road.

The Anti-Corruption Commission has also confirmed that all seven of them are in their custody for further investigation and the outcome soon to be communicated.

The names of the staff that are involved in the alleged diversion of funds are as follows,Jacob Tenga Sessie – Deputy Director of Budget, MoF, Emmanuel Smart – Accounting Officer, SLRA, Starlyn Kemoh – Accountant, AGD, Ibrahim Bangura – Senior Accountant, AGD, John Ellie – Principal Accountant, AGD, Joseph Johnson – Accountant, AGD, Philip Yomba – Senior Accountant, AGD.