June 4, 2021
By: Francis F.M.Harding
In their first appearance, the Executive Director (ED) of Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, Paul Sobba Massaquoi, Peter Joseph Menjor, Acting Director of Procurement of Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, Fodie U.K.Dabor, the Acting Director of Finance of Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, Hartwell Williams, Quality and Assurance Manager of Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, Victor Alpha Human Resource Manager, of Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, and Festus Musa Procurement supervisor of Sierra Leone Maritime Administration appeared before Justice Mohamed Bawah at the High Court in Freetown on the 3rd June, 2021 to answer to allegations of corruption offences.
According to the Anti-Corruption Commission charged sheets, the accused persons were charged on five counts charges of corruption offences including conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, contrary to section 128 (1) (a) failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines, contrary to section 48 (2) (b) abuse of office, contrary to section 42 (1), and knowingly misleading the Commission, contrary to section 127 (1) (b) of the Anti-Corruption Act No.12, of 2008, as amended by the Anti-Corruption Act No.9 of 2019 respectively.
It is alleged that the charges are concern with failure to conduct a bidding process as required by section 37 and 39 of the Public Procurement Act No.1 of 2016, regarding the rehabilitation of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration headquarters building in Freetown.
Paul Sobba Massaquoi, Fodie U.K.Dabor, Hartwell Williams and Victor Alpha, are also charged with knowingly misleading the Commission by making false statements to the investigators of the Anti-Corruption Commission, that a procurement process was conducted in respect of the procurement of works for the rehabilitation of Sierra Leone Maritime Administration headquarters building in Freetown.
In reality the ACC discovered that no procurement process was conducted in respect of the said allocation of works contract. The four accused persons are jointly in court for misleading the Commission.
It’s alleged that Peter Joseph Menjor, between the 17th February and 18th March, 2021 knowingly misled the Anti-Corruption Commission by making statements that his signature appended to the documents purporting to be connected with a procurement process were authored by him, contrary to section 127 (1) (b) of the Anti-Corruption Act No.12, of the 2008 as amended by the Anti-Corruption Act No.9 of 2019.
It’s alleged that Paul Sobba Massaquoi is charged with abuse of office by improperly awarding a contract to rehabilitate the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration headquarters building in Freetown without having a bidding process conducted in compliance with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to procurement works.
The charges were read by the Clark and all the six accused persons denied the charges.
It could be recalled that on the 31st May, 2021 Anti-Corruption Commission filed in an indictment against the six accused persons on five counts of corruption offences.
Defence counsel representing the first and fourth accused persons is Lawyer Ibrahim Mansaray, Lawyer A.Kamara is representing the second accused person, Lawyer J.M.Jengo is representing the third, Lawyer B.S. Nabieu is representing the fifth accused person and H.M.Gavao is representing the sixth accused person. The matter has been adjourned to the 17th June, 2021.