Anti-Corruption Commission makes progress as President Ernest Koroma receives cheque from fines levied on offenders in Sierra Leone
ACC Commissioner Joseph Kamara presents cheque to President Koroma
FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE – The Commissioner of the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has on (Thursday) 20th October 2011, presented a eight hundred and sixty-seven million, nine hundred and six thousand Leones cheque to (Le.867,906m) to President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma as part of fines levied on corruption offenders by the commission. Mr. Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara made the presentation shortly after he submitted the ACC Mid Term Report and the ACC Strategic Plan for 2011-2013. The ACC Commissioner told President Koroma that the money has been made payable to the Accountant General for onward funding into the consolidated revenue fund. Mr. Kamara acknowledged the political will the ACC is enjoying from the leadership of the commission’s oversight personnel, President Koroma in the execution of its duties. “There has been no political interference at all in the works of the ACC from the side of government”, he disclosed.
He revealed that a survey recently conducted indicates the effectiveness of President Koroma’s zero tolerant in the fight against corruption, which according to the ACC Commissioner has resulted to increase in government revenue and rapid reduction of corruption. Mr. Kamara said since the enactment of the ACC Act in 2008 the commission has so far been able to raised over five billion Leones. He commended President Koroma for providing the political will and thanked ACC staff for their concerted efforts in the national fight against corruption. He said the ACC Strategic Plan was prepared to educate the public on how to eradicate corruption. President Koroma for his part, expressed delight for the good work done by the ACC and encouraged Commissioner Kamara to go on with the fight against graft. He paid special tribute to the commission for retrieving the people’s monies from the wrong hands and for the presentation of the ACC Mid Term Report, the Strategic Plan 2011- 2013 as well as the Le.867,906m cheque that has already been paid to the Accountant General as onward funding into the consolidate revenue.
President Koroma therefore instructed the ACC Commissioner to intensify the campaign and put a seal to corrupt practices in Sierra Leone, by sniffing out the people’s monies from the wrong hands and bring them into government coffers. “I must say that I am very happy with the progress made by the ACC in the fight against corruption. The transparency international’s acknowledgment of our efforts in the eradication of corruption, and the World Bank award have indicated that we are making progress in the fight against corruption”, observed President Koroma. Prepared on a tri-prong approach, the ACC Strategic Plan is working in compliance with the rule of law, partnerships and strengthen organisational effectiveness to enhancement professional cultural, and make Sierra Leone a corrupt free nation. The plan is set to ensure that the socio-economic needs of citizens are adequately met, through increment in per capita income and enhance public confidence in government’s ACC policies, while working effectively to reduce corruption through its prosecution of cases and the recovery of assets.
In this pursuit the ACC has embarked on prevention, investigations and prosecutions, with the recognition good governance through the improvement of social and public service deliveries. The strategy also play a leading role in encouraging citizens to consider corruption as vicious and thus prevent them from being party to it, while the openness in economic decision-making, and eliminating corruption through transparency and accountability and the application of the rule of law formed key objectives of the working document. The new focus of the ACC is to sensitize the public on causes, features, ills and impacts of corruption as it identify with pillars of integrity, democratic values, accountability and the voice of the masses.
© 2011, Joseph Kamanda. All rights reserved.
