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In a recent interview on Radio Democracy 98.1, Tamba Momoh, former Deputy Auditor General of Sierra Leone, expressed his disinterest in returning to Audit Service Sierra Leone, citing his dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs in the institution.
Momoh, suspended alongside Auditor General Lara Taylor-Pearce in 2020 over allegations of professional misconduct, refuted claims of forgery related to the 2021 audit report. “Nowhere in the report did we mention forgery,” he stated, referencing page 4 of the 2021 Auditor General’s report. He clarified that the discrepancies found in receipts during their investigations were deemed unreliable due to inconsistencies, and they rejected them as evidence.
Addressing the findings of the tribunal established by the Office of the President to investigate his suspension, Momoh said the charges against him lacked credible evidence. He also expressed concern over what he called “undue advantage” taken against chartered accountants and auditors in the country.
This is not our first time auditing the office of the President; we audited the office of the former President, Ernest Bai Koroma,” he emphasized, referring to the period under which he and Taylor-Pearce conducted their audits.
Momoh criticized the current acting Auditor General, Abdul Aziz, accusing him of failing to properly audit local councils, particularly the Freetown City Council, which was not his responsibility. He questioned why Aziz had not faced suspension despite this alleged failure.
The suspension of Momoh and Taylor-Pearce and the subsequent tribunal have sparked controversy, with critics accusing the government of political interference in the Audit Service. Momoh’s statements have fueled further debate, with some media analysts condemning what they call “media propaganda” and urging for more balanced reporting.
The fallout from this case continues to raise concerns about transparency, accountability, and the integrity of Sierra Leone’s governance institutions.
Sir, integrity is Worth than anything. Don’t be like Sierra Leone politicians. You are a professional, internationally recognized auditor.
Hahaha, the Emperor has been disrobed, with his hands caught in the treasury pot. This exposes the reason for the frequent travelling by this regime. But don’t hold your breath; these rogues are ruthless and shameless. Disgraceful. Instead of focusing on the forged receipts, they are diverting our attention to bogus allegations of “breach of confidentiality” and the nondescript “professional misconduct.” Again, the question is, who forged the receipts?” The present Audit Office is “portoh portoh” as most of the current officers have been compromised.