The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has on Monday 31st May 2021, filed an indictment against the Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA), the Acting Director of Procurement and others for corruption related offenses.
The SLMA boss and others were accused of willful failure to conduct a bidding process as required by Sections 37 and 39 of the Public Procurement Act No.1 of 2016, in regard the rehabilitation of the SLMA Headquarters Building in Freetown, Conspiracy to commit corruption offences, and willful failure to comply with Applicable Procedures and Guidelines relating to the Procurement of Works, in respect of the same.
According to the indictment, Mr. Paul Sobba Massaquoi, Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA), and of No. 67 Sir Samuel Lewis Road, Aberdeen, Freetown; Peter Joseph Menjor, Acting Director of Procurement, SLMA, of No. 27 Thompson Bay, Off Wilkinson Road, Freetown; FODIE U.K DABOR, the Acting Director of Finance, SLMA, of 34D Peacock Farm, Wellington, Freetown; Hartwell Williams, Quality and Assurance Manager, SLMA, of No. 11 Lab Lane, Wilkinson Road, Freetown, VICTOR ALPHA, Human Resource Manager, SLMA, of 36 Hulket Street, Freetown, and FESTUS MUSA, Procurement Supervisor of SLMA, of No. 9 Milton Street, Murray Town, Freetown, on Five (5) Counts 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); and 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.
Moreover, Paul Sobba Massaquoi, Fodie U.K. Dabor, Hartwell Williams, and Victor Alpha, are also charged with knowingly misleading the Commission by making statements to the Investigators of the ACC, that a procurement process was conducted in respect of the procurement of works for the rehabilitation of the SLMA Headquarters building in Freetown, when in truth and in fact, no procurement process was conducted in respect of the said procurement. All four (4) of them, face jointly one (1) count of knowingly misleading the Commission. PETER JOSEPH MENJOR, Acting Director of Procurement, SLMA on the other hand, between 17th February and 18th March, 2021, knowingly misled the Anti-Corruption Commission by making statements that his signatures appended to the documents purporting to be connected with a procurement process were not authored by him, when in truth and in fact, the said signatures were authored by him. He faces separately, one (1) count of 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.
Paul Sobba Massaquoi, Executive Director of the SLMA, is also charged with Abuse of Office by improperly awarding a contract to rehabilitate the SLMA Headquarters building without having a bidding process conducted in compliance with the Applicable Procedures and Guidelines relating to the Procurement of Works.
The Six (6) indicted persons are expected to appear in the High Court of Sierra Leone Holden at Freetown on Thursday 3rd June 2021.
