March 19, 2021
Albert Baron Ansu
Financial Secretary Sahr Jusu has provided further clarity on the controversy surrounding Audit Service Sierra Leone insistence to be exempted from among entities required under the Financial Management Control Act to transfers funds raised to the Consolidated Account. At a Ministry of Information press conference, he used the occasion to announce increased budget of Audit Service Sierra Leone to 41 billion Leones surpassing Anti-Corruption Commission and even Parliament.
Sahr Jusu has Challenged the Auditor General Madam Lara Taylor Pearce to show in anywhere in the world where audit reports covering a financial year are commingled with previous years to bloat figures and said report subjected to media hype, even before parliament could look at it suggest that “there is a motive” outside of legal framework.
He said such a situation creates misleading impression about the government, noting he could resign his job even Madam Lara Pearce shows an example from anywhere in the world with such audit practice.
A-Z Newspaper could not have the Financial Secretary to shed light on such motive. He however said that a supreme audit agency of the land should lead by example in terms of exhibiting the same transparency and accountability it demands of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
He argued that the Audit Service Sierra Leone is ought to be operationally independent but not financially independent. He disclosed that the Finance Ministry wrote to ASSL to liaise with the Accountant General in ensuring that tax audit collected can be lodged in an account that the ASSL can still be signatory to.
He said what used to obtain was like a supermarket they collect, they control and utilize the funds without reference to anything.
He said when the SLPP government assumed office an Executive Order was issued on 9th April 2018 mandating all agencies without exception to transfer those funds to Treasury Single Account.
The Finance Secretary said it was rather surprising that quietly, three days later 12th April, the Auditor General wrote to the Solicitor General, where there was no minister, there was Minister of Justice Attorney General, but it happened that the former Attorney General made an opinion to exempt the Auditor General. He said where parliament enacts a law no other person can overturn it.
He denied any act or intent to control the ASSL but insisted that their work should be consistent with the provisions of the Financial Management and Control Act.
He provided instances of government’s support for the ASSL, apart from their commendation letter that speaks to good work of the ASSL in contributing to the promotion of transparency and accountability.
“What we allocated to the Audit Service Sierra Leone 41 Billion Leones is not even half of what goes to the Anti-Corruption Commission and Parliament.
He said they have just bought vehicles for the ASSL through middle men- the ASSL has been condemning; “but that is not likely that it will be reflected in the next audit report.”