August 31, 2021
BY PROBLYN JOHN ALPHA
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has held a sensitization meeting with financial institutions in Bo City.
Explaining the rationale behind the sensitization, the regional manager Anti-Corruption Commission South, Musa Jawara intimated that, financial institutions are very key for the development of any nation, because they are charged with the primary responsibility to control the economy of every country.
He revealed that in recent times they have received intelligence that some bank officers are in clandestine relationship with some government institutions from the important revenue they are paying to those banks which according to him happened countless time in the nation capital Freetown, noting that, as regional office, they want to be more proactive instead of being reactive because it’s happening in Freetown.
“We have engaged the financial institutions to share the information with them and identify those risks that will make it happen” he maintained.
One of the risks according to the Southern Regional ACC manager Musa Jawara is when private or public institutions are paying money to the government through various government institutions citing examples to E.D.S.A stating that there are big institutions and enterprises that are to pay E.D.S.A light bill by cheques, so after paying the money to E.D.S.A through the banks they are expecting the bank officers to transfer those monies being paid to E.D.S.A account for the use of EDSA,
Mr Jawara said when those institutions and enterprises have paid their light bills to the banks; the bank officers allegedly connive with some EDSA officers to transfer those monies to their private account at the detriment of EDSA and other public offices in the country.
Meanwhile, Mr. Jawara reiterated that as a commission, they thought it expedient to embark on such sensitization with bank officers because they have the mandate to protect government funds, revenue and property including monies meant for MDA’s and NGO’s codify in “section 48 of the Anti-corruption commission Act.
He therefore encouraged the general public to have confidence and support the ACC by doing so they are supporting the survival of the nation because when there is corruption, there will be no development in the country.