By: Thaimu Bai Sesay (Intern)
Align with the recommendations prescribed in the Government White Paper coupled with the three Judge-led Commissions of Inquiry which were set up by President Bio in 2018, the Solicitor General of Sierra Leone Robert Kowa Esq., has on Thursday 1st December 2022, updated journalists that Government is on the verge to confiscate Properties illegally acquired by former President Koroma and his Ministers.
A list of 31 names including Ernest Bai Koroma, Alimamy P. Koroma, Dr. Minkailu Bah, Dr. Richard Conteh, Mamoud Tarawalie, Leonard Balogun Koroma, Alfred Paolo Conteh, Alimamy P. Koroma among others, are amongst those whose properties are to be confiscated. Another list containing 8 names of already confiscated properties with different addresses and names of owners was also presented to a galaxy of journalists during the presser.
It could be recalled that after the publication of the White Paper, people were challenging the reports or recommendations of the White Paper in the Court of Appeal.
Solicitor General of Sierra Leone, therefore, intimated that currently, they have 110 appeals in the Court of Appeal and only 40 of them have been dealt with. He added that there were also about 10 appeals in the Supreme Court two of them are State Appeals while others are Appeals against the decision of the Supreme Court.
The Solicitor General also revealed that the process has been a herculean task as it is a matter of justice that deals with the individual right. He, however, said some judgments have been delivered of which some are in favor of the state while others are against the state.
Kowa Esq. continued that the government has recovered huge amounts of money which he estimated to be 9 to 10 billion Leones, excluding the asset and some amount of US dollars. He added that a special account had been established for that and the account has recovered about 3 billion Leones.
He equally disclosed that there were other people found wanting but they were willing to pay without being taken to court. He explained that some were not disclosed to the general public while others were displayed based on crucial reasons.
He affirmed that all the properties they have been able to recover are properties of the state. He added that once properties or monies are recovered, they instantaneously hand over to the Office of the President through the National Property and Asset Commission.
The Solicitor General assured that they are also pursuing another set of people who have to financially refund certain amounts of money to the state. He said those amounts of monies would be pursued in several ways. He said although the accounts where those monies were sent are currently empty, they could reach out to properties equivalent to the monies and confiscate them.
He concluded by confirming that they are anticipating to appear in court on the 5th of December to deal with cases concerning National Telecommunication (NATCOM) which he said judgment would be delivered before the end of the year.