Anti-Corruption Commissioner did not give the name or names of who paid US $100,000 to ACC in the ongoing investigation into alleged misappropriation of monies disbursed for renovation of the Sierra Leone UN mission chancery in New York.
We now know that it is not only Dr. Samura Kamara as former Minister of Foreign Affairs who is being questioned but that Dr. Alie Kabba and Nabeel Tunis have also been dragged to the ACC and both removed as the country’s Permanent Representative to the UN and Minister respectively in very suspicious circumstances.
The ACC have also interrogated the Head of Chancery. In fact, he was briefly detained. Even the Financial Attache as the mission was questioned. A team of investigators from Freetown was sent to New York as well, according to the ACC boss.
Now it begs the question; that amongst those being investigated who made the payment to the ACC? Suspicion is high here.
Alie Kabba served as Minister of Foreign Affairs before he was sacked and sent to the UN which many believed was a demotion in status. In the wake of the investigation and after facing interrogation by the ACC, he was removed again and redeployed to Egypt as Ambassador which he wasn’t pleased with.
Nabeela Tunis was also sacked as Foreign Minister and reduced in rank to Minister of Western Region – a new ministry which cabinet rank added to it to give it significance and relevance which are yet to be seen. Regional Ministers over the years are not of cabinet rank and referred to as Ministers without portfolio. So, it is still with the current Resident Ministers.
Independent Observer reported that, her ascension to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs may have been a monumental mistake by State House then. But the latest said about that for now the better. It was no surprise though how she again descended from being the international face of the country to a ‘village headman’ in the position of regional minister and to date have not been able to find her feet on the ground.
And since the ACC did not tell us who really amongst those being investigated paid the said amount, the suspicion will live with them until such a time when Francis Ben Kaifala will decide to name names.
What Ben Kaifala took time to explain on TV was that Dr. Samura Kamara was involved in that transaction since he was Financial Secretary. His signature is on the MoU. And more importantly he served as both Finance and Foreign Minister. So he is badly needed to piece together the jigsaw puzzle.
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