By Abass Jalloh
The cross-examination of Sierra Leone’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation, Dr. Alie Kabba, will continue today following his testimony in the ongoing trial between the State versus Saidu Nallo and four others.
The five are charged with various counts relating to the alleged misappropriation of funds for the reconstruction or renovation of the Sierra Leone Chancery Building in New York, United States of America, between 2011 and 2019.
It is alleged by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) that over $ 4 million was transferred for that purpose between for the project.
APC 2018 presidential candidate, Dr. Samura Kamara Kamara, was indicted by the ACC in November 2021 together with Saidu Nallo, Head of Chancery of the Sierra Leone’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York, Foday Vahfomba Bawoh the former Financial Attaché of the mission, Adekalie Foday Suma the former Permanent Representative of the mission, Dr. Kandeh Foday Basil Kamara who was Financial Attaché of the mission and Jules Sanders Davies, an American citizen and Contractor of the Permanent Mission to the UN.
On Monday 24 October, a video of the said chancery building was played in court in which the prosecution lawyer, Calvin Matesbo, said the video was taken by Dr. Kabba when he visited the building in New York.
Dr. Kabba told the court that he had made a record of the visit using his mobile phone which had since been in his custody and that he shared the video with his deputy and the commission.
He identified a man in the video called as Jules Sander Davis, who he said was the contractor of the building project, adding that he went to inspect the building but that the contractor was not doing anything in the mission.
He added that he did not know how the building project was going during the past government and did not know what transpired in the building during the past government.
Dr. Kabba revealed that when President Julius Maada Bio was sworn in as president in 2018, he was the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Corporation. He said a memo was presented to him from New York by the then Director General of the ministry and that the memo informed him that the contractor was threatening to sue the mission to court for lack of payment, noting that that was the first time he had known about the project and he made a strong case to the president and the then Minister of Finance, Jacob Jusu Saffa, about the issue.
According to Dr. Kabba, Mr Saffa then gave him $ 500,000 (five hundred thousand Dollars) for the project which was the first time he said he had handled the project.
He revealed that $ 2 million was disbursed for the project but was paid in two installments, adding that he only received the payment of the first installment which went to the third party for onward transmission to New York based on requisition provided by New York.
Under cross-examination yesterday, October 25, by Lawyer Mohamed Pa Momo Fofanah, Dr. Kabba was asked as to how the process normally worked when it came to matters of funding for the project. Dr. Kabba responded that the Head of Chancery was responsible for all matters of funding as part of his functional roles, adding that the functional role of the chancery was for the Head of Chancery and not the head of the mission.
Dr. Kabba was asked if he was involved in monetary transactions when he first went to New York. He responded that when he went there in 2019 he had a meeting with the diplomatic staff to know how the project was executed and that during that exchange there was a mention of fifth and sixth floors.
He added that he did not see any authorization from cabinet for the change order of the floors which cost over $ 1.9 million and that he needed to see the authorization of the fifth and sixth floors but could not.
He was also asked whether he had seen and read the contract of the said chancery building. Dr. Kabba said that when he arrived in New York he did not see it and that he made the complaint, and it was only made available to him in April 2021.
He was further asked whether there was a cabinet approval when he saw the contract and received advice from Dr. Imran Kanu, the Deputy Ambassador who is a lawyer, he said there was none at the time because time was not in their favor.
Lawyer Fofanah suggested that when he arrived at the mission in October 2019, 70% of the work had already been done. But the witness said that even though he did not meet the place in a good condition, it was difficult for him to determine 70%.
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