Sierra Leone News: ACC Indicts Sarah Bendu & Two Others
By Hasbin Shawa
The Anti-Corruption Commission on Thursday September 12, 2019, filed an indictment against Dr. Sarah Bendu, former Executive Director, Sierra Leone Roads Safety Authority (SLRSA); Mr. Victor Labor Procurement Manager (SLRSA), and Ms. Kepiatu Alghali, former National Revenue Authority Officer on various counts of misappropriation of public funds, the Commission said in a statement.
According to the ACC, the three are charged with conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the tendering of contracts; and Failure to comply with the applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of public funds, contrary to the Anti Corruption Act 2008.
“Acting on the Auditor General’s Report that public funds had been misappropriated by Dr. BENDU, Mr. Labor at the SLRSA, and Ms. Alghali of the NRA, between January 2016 and December 2017, the ACC accordingly instituted an investigation,” the Commission said in a statement.
“The investigations revealed that Dr. Bendu , Mr. Labor, and Ms. Alghali, conspired to defraud the State of a total sum of Two Billion and Ninety One Million, Seven Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand Five Hundred and Twenty Leones, Eight-Eight Cents (Le2,091,736,520.88),” the Commission said.
The Commission said that the accused persons, with intent to defraud the State, allegedly inflated customs duties and payments for related services and used the bank accounts of Centrum and KABS Clearing and Forwarding Agencies, and funneled monies in the guise of clearing two trucks and holographic windshield labels.
“Upon the transfer and receipt of each payment, the management of Centrum and KABS, on some occasions, directly transferred the funds to Ms. Alghali’s account. On other occasions, they withdrew these monies and handed over same to her in person,” the Commission established.
According to the Commission, the investigations further revealed that Ms. Alghali allegedly shared these monies with various employees of the SLRSA, including Mr. LABOR and Dr. BENDU, who the Commission said got the ‘lion share’.
The commission said that the three indicted persons are expected to appear in the high court in Freetown on October 2, 2019.
