The Deputy Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Sierra Leone, who is also the Head of Delegation, Augustine Foday Ngobie, has on Tuesday 6th September 2022, delivered a comprehensive Address, on Sierra Leone’s commitment to effectively addressing challenges and implementing measures to prevent and combat corruption and strengthen international cooperation at the Inter-sessional meeting of the Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), in Vienna, Austria.
In his presentation, Deputy Commissioner Mr. Ngobie assured the UNCAC State Parties of Sierra Leone’s continued commitment to complying with UNCAC provisions noting, the country has taken positive strides in the prevention of corruption because of the known fact that prevention of corruption is far cheaper and sustainable, to prosecution or the recovery of stolen wealth.
Mr. Ngobie further intimated the Conference, of the tremendous efforts Sierra Leone has made in strengthening its legal framework. He highlighted the amendment to the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008, which introduced progressive reforms to the fight against corruption globally. He furthered that, the Sierra Leone anti-graft law is considered as one of the strongest anti- corruption legal instruments in the Africa sub-region.
In four years, 2018 to 2022, the ACC has secured over 90% conviction rate in the criminal matters it has prosecuted in the High Court of Sierra Leone, reviewed the procedures of 14 Ministries, Departments and Agencies, proffered 461 recommendations, with a successful implementation of 336, representing 73% compliance rate, ACC Deputy boss informed the meeting.
He also catalogued the remarkable gains Sierra Leone has made in the areas of, Assets Recovery, International Cooperation, and the progressive positive rankings in National and International Corruption Perception Indexes, stressing also, Sierra Leone’s consistent excellent pass of 83 percent (2021) in the control of corruption indicator in the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) scorecard.
Mr. Ngobie updated the Conference on the country’s successful implementation of the fourth generation of its National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS 2019-2023). Through the implementation of the Strategy, Deputy Commissioner stated, the ACC has established Integrity Management Committees (IMCs) in over 95 percent of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) both at national and sub-national levels, with the view to own the fight against corruption and promote integrity, transparency and accountability in the service delivery areas of the MDAs.
On the interventions in regard public awareness, civic space and collaboration with partners, Mr. Ngobie underscored Sierra Leone’s positive and strategic approach to widening the civil society space, through the office of the Vice President which conducts quarterly National Civil Society Dialogue in different regions of the country.
He also indicated that the ACC on its part has deepened civil society collaboration and partnership, through public quarterly civil society and media engagements, joint nationwide anti-corruption advocacy campaigns and the signing of memoranda of understanding with thirteen (13) civil society organizations.
In his conclusion, Deputy Commissioner Ngobie expressed appreciation to United Nations Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) for its remarkable role in combating corruption crimes globally, and maintained that the Sustainable Development Goals-2030, have been aligned with the Sierra Leone Government’s priorities, as encapsulated in the country’s Medium-Term National Development Plan 2019-2023.
The four-day Conference from Monday 5th to Thursday 8th September, 2022, attracted Anti-graft practitioners and activists, various Government agencies, Non-governmental organizations, civil society bodies and other Non-State actors. The meeting focused on International Cooperation, Asset Recovery, Technical Assistance and Information Exchange.
The ACC Deputy Commissioner is accompanied at the Conference by the ACC Regional Manager, North East, Mariama Navo.
© Public Relations Unit, ACC
