The 2019 banking records collectively show that over US$4.6 million was transferred between 27th May 2019 and 5th September 2019 from Freetown.

Africanist Press reviewed 134 transactions from the 2019 banking records of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, including all wire transfers and other financial transactions carried out by Foreign Affairs officials between 8th January 2019 and 31st December 2019.

The 2019 banking records collectively show that over US$4.6 million was transferred between 27th May 2019 and 5th September 2019 from Freetown to New York for the supposed renovation of the Sierra Leone diplomatic mission building in New York.

These 2019 bank transactions included evidence of wire transfers from the Bank of Sierra Leone (BSL) that show precisely how Le36.4 billion (over US$3.6 million) was transferred from the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s account to the Republic of Sierra Leone Embassy account in New York between 14th June 2019 and 5th September 2019 by Foreign Affairs officials to the Sierra Leone Mission in New York.

These bank transfers included eight wire transfer transactions totaling Le20,070,845,946 (about US$2.1 million) by Foreign Affairs officials between 24th May 2019 and 24th September 2019.

Two other SWIFT transfers (FT1916454098 and FT1924808290) in the amounts of Le7,665,845,933.49 (about US$800,000) and Le9,329,999,975.14 (about US$1 million) that were also carried out on 13th June 2019, and 5th September 2019, were noted specifically as payments towards the renovation of the Chancery Building of the Sierra Leone Mission in New York.

Africanist Press also reviewed transaction details from both the 2018 and 2019 bank statements of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and aggregated transactions showing that a total of at least Le40,104,581,122.18 (over US$4.1 million) was cumulatively taken out of the Foreign Affairs account between 2nd May 2018 and 25th September 2019; during the first 18 months of the Bio Administration’s time in office.

Thus, a review of the Foreign Affairs Ministry’s banking records for both 2018 and 2019 (in the first 18 months of the Bio administration) show that over Le40.6 billion (over US$4.6 million) of the aggregated total earmarked for the Chancery Building were transferred to the New York Mission Building in 2019 but were not used for the specified purpose.

We produce below the 2019 Bank Statement of the foreign affairs ministry showing evidence of the 2019 transfers to New York for the renovation of the Chancery Building.