February 1, 2021
By Mohamed M. Sesay
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has at a Press Conference indicated their satisfaction with Appeal Court ruling that upholds the custodial sentence of two former staffers of the Ministry of Information and Communication. The two defendants are Edward King and Sorieba Kamara.
The Commission states that the ruling will serve as an effective deterrent to persons who would want to engage in acts of corruption “and it is the reason why we are commending the judiciary”
On the 27th February, 2019, Edward King, Acting Director of Information and Sorieba Kamara, Senior Accountant in the Ministry of Information and Communication, were sentenced to three years mandatory imprisonment, following their conviction at a High Court Holden in Freetown presided over by Justice Fatmata Bintu Alhadi, for corruption offences.
ACC disclosed that both accused persons pleaded guilty to the counts of Misappropriation of Public Funds and Public Revenue, contrary to Section 36(1); Failure to Comply with Applicable Procedures and Guidelines Relating to the Management of Public Funds, contrary to Section 48(2)b; and failure to pay tax payable to a public body, contrary to Section 48(1)d of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008, arising from the Two Hundred and Six Million Leones (Le206,000,000) that was said to have been partly misappropriated following the allocation of funds for Commissions of Inquiry sensitizations by the Ministry of Information and Communication.
The press statement added that the Court of Appeal of Sierra Leone Holden in Freetown, presided over by the Honorable Justice Miatta Maria Samba, JA, the Honorable Justice Ansumana Ivan Sesay, JA and the honorable Justice Sulaiman Bah, JA; on 19th January, 2021, dismissed their grounds of appeal and upheld the Trial Judge’s conviction and sentence against both Appellants to a mandatory prison term of three years.
