By politico staff writer
The Anti-Corruption Commission has in a press release announced the indictment of six people including the 2018 presidential aspirant, Dr Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara of the opposition APC party who doubles as the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
“Dr Samura Matthew Wilson Kamara is charged with one count of deceiving a principal and one count of misappropriation of public funds amounting to Two Million, Five Hundred and Sixty Thousand United States Dollars ($2,560,000) meant for the reconstruction of the Sierra Leone Chancery Building in New York,” the statement reads.
Dr. Samura was on the 23rd of November this year indicted alongside Saidu Nallo, Head of Chancery of Sierra Leone’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, Foday Vahfomba Bawoh, former Financial Attache of Sierra Leone’s Mission to the United Nations in New York, Adikalie Foday Suma, former Permanent Representative of Sierra Leone’s Mission to the United Nations, Dr Kandeh Foday Basil Kamara, Financial Attaché of Sierra Leone’s Mission to the United Nations in New York, and Jules Sanders Davis, an American Citizen and agent/contractor of the Sierra Leone Permanent Mission to the United Nations, on various corruption offences relating to the reconstruction of the Sierra Leone United Nations permanent representative chancery building in New York.
the five were charged with Forty-Eight (48) counts of corruption offences bordering on Failure to Comply with Applicable Procedures and Guidelines relating to procurement, the management of funds, contrary to Section 48(2)(b), Misappropriation of Public Funds, contrary to Section 36(1), Abuse of Office, contrary to Section 42(1), Fraudulent Acquisition of a Benefit, contrary to Section 48(1)(a), Knowingly Deceiving a Principal, contrary to Section 40(3), and Conspiracy to commit a Corruption offence, contrary to Section 128, of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12, of 2008 as Amended in 2019 respectively.
According to the statement by the anti-graft agency, Saidu Nallo and Foday Vahfomba Bawoh are jointly charged with Ten counts of corruption offences for failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, and misappropriation of public funds amounting to Nine Hundred and Forty-Seven Thousand, Four Hundred Dollars ($947,400).
Saidu Nallo is also jointly charged with Dr Kandeh Foday Basil Kamara on, Sixteen (16) counts of corruption offences also involving the failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, and misappropriation of public funds amounting to Six Million, Five Hundred and Thirty Thousand, Seven Hundred and Ninety-Eight US Dollars, and Five Cents ($6,530,798.5.) it added that Nallo is jointly charged with Jules Sanders Davis on Two counts of conspiracy to commit a corruption offence.
Foday Vahfomba Bawoh is said to be charged separately with Ten counts of corruption offences involving the failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, abuse of office, and misappropriation of public funds amounting to One Million, Five Hundred and Ninety-Two Thousand, Two Hundred United States Dollars ($1,592,200), being funds meant for the reconstruction of the Chancery Building in New York.
Jules Sanders Davis, who was awarded the contract for the reconstruction of the Chancery building, is separately charged on one count of fraudulent acquisition of a benefit and one count of knowingly deceiving a principal, as he gave requisitions which contained statements that are defective with the intent to deceive his Principal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
In addition, Jules Sanders Davis is jointly charged with Adikalie Foday Suma on one count of conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, and separately charged on two counts of the failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the management of funds and the tendering of contracts.
All accused persons will be arraigned before Justice Adrian Fisher on the 10th December 2021.
Politico could not get Dr Samura Kamara to react to the allegations against him at the time of going to press but a statement from his 2023 flag bearer aspirant campaign group states that his legal representatives are studying the indictment for further action .
"We want to reassure the public that Dr Sumura M W Kamara believes in independent and credible institution. And in his forty years of public service, his unblemished character has never been questioned both at national and international levels," the statement reads.
The support group therefore called on the public to be patient, and law abiding .
Dr. Samura M W Kamara is one of the popular candidates in the race to lead the All Peoples Congress party in the 2023 national elections.
Copyright © Politico Online 26/11/21
