June 17, 2021
BY MOHAMED M. SESAY
The Anti-Corruption Commission(ACC) has on the 16th of June, indicted eight Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) staff and one Rokel Commercial Bank worker on charges relating to misappropriation of public revenue totaling Six Billion, Five Hundred and Seven Million, Three Hundred and Five Thousand, Three Hundred and Eleven Leones, and Forty-Eight Cents (Le 6,507, 305, 311.48).
This is in regard to payments by Cheques for postpaid electricity use made to EDSA by various high consuming institutions which they used the banking system to divert and convert to their own use through personal accounts, and Conspiracy to commit the various corruption offences arising therefrom.
Disclosing this in a press statement, the Commission further informed that one MOHAMED SHEKU TURAY, a Banker at the Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB), and of No. 2 Alcock Street, off Macauley Street, Freetown; ALIMAMY SESAY, Reconciliation Officer, Electricity Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA), of No. 2 Sesay Drive, IMATT, Freetown; NOAH WINNEBAH, the Marketing Officer, EDSA, of 1 Mends Street, Freetown; ABIOSEH OLA BARNES, Accountant, EDSA, of No. 39 Jerusalem Avenue, Metchem, Goderich, Freetown, MUSA MOMOH LAHAI, Head of Commercial, North, EDSA, of No. 4 Matankoh Street, Makeni, HAWA Y. KAMARA, Revenue Reconciliation Officer EDSA, of No. 166 Bai Bureh Road, Portee, Freetown, MARY BANGURA (MRS. NGEGBAI), Revenue Assistant EDSA, of No. 26 Black Hall Road, Freetown, RUGIATU KALOKOH, Revenue Assistant, EDSA, of No. 36J Red Pump, Tengbeh Town, Freetown, and WALTON NATHANIEL BECKLEY, Former Nutrition Officer of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), of No. 2 Madingo Town, Off Congo Cross, Freetown, on Eight (8) Counts of corruption offences including; Misappropriation of Public Revenue, contrary to Section 36(1), Conspiracy to Commit a Corruption Offence, contrary to Section 128(1)(a), and Failure to Comply with Applicable Procedures relating to the Management of Public Revenue, contrary to Section 48(2)(b), of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12, of 2008, as amended by the Anti-Corruption Act No.9 of 2019, respectively.
The release added that MOHAMED SHEKU TURAY, a Banker at the Rokel Commercial Bank (RCB) on the other hand, between 1st July, 2018 and 31st January, 2021, willfully failed to comply with the applicable laws, procedures and guidelines of the Rokel Commercial Bank (SL) Ltd, in relation to the management of public revenue paid to EDSA for the supply of electricity. The commission also disclosed that Mohamed Sheku Turay faces separately, one (1) count of Failure to Comply with Applicable Procedures relating to the management of public revenue, contrary to Section 48(2)(b), of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12, of 2008 as amended by the Anti-Corruption Act No.9 of 2019. It further that Mohamed Sheku Turay was also the principal person through whom Six Billion Leones (Le6,000,000,000.00) was diverted and misappropriated.
The Commission continued that ALIMAMY SESAY, NOAH WINNEBAH, ABIOSEH OLA BARNES, MUSA MOMOH LAHAI, HAWA Y. KAMARA, MARY BANGURA (MRS. NGEGBAI), and RUGIATU KALOKOH, are also charged with willful failure to comply with the applicable laws, procedures and guidelines relating to the management of public revenue as stipulated in Section 11(3)&(4) of the Government Budgeting and Accountability Act No.3 of 2005 adding that, all seven (7) of them, being staff of EDSA, face jointly Two (2) counts of failure to comply with the applicable laws, procedures and guidelines relating to the management of public revenue.
“The Commission wishes to reassure the general public of its determination to address public sector corruption especially in revenue generating institutions, and all other levels of corruption throughout Sierra Leone”, the press statement concludes.