By Mohamed Jaward Nyallay
New evidence tendered at the Commission of Inquiry on Thursday appears to show that the former government of Ernest Bai Koroma did sell the 30% shares the state owned in Sierra Rutile Ltd.
The Financial Secretary, Sahr Jusu tendered a document he received from the Bank of Sierra Leone regarding the sale of the shares.
In his testimony in Commission No. 64 presided over by Justice Biobele Georgewill, Jusu said the bank documents showed correspondence between Central Bank and Sierra Rutile Ltd. He also added that the central bank had promised to give more details on the sale.
“The central bank has committed to give more details on the swift transaction in respect of the sales,” he said.
However, he also disclosed that there was no trace of any document in the ministry regarding the sale of the shares in 2012.
“I requested the Accountant General to provide details in respect of Sierra Rutile shares and the Accountant General came back and could not provide details of the sales,” Jusu added.
“From the Minister’s [of Finance] office, we could not trace any record regarding the sales of the 30%”.
Emmanuel Osho Coker, the Secretary to former president Ernest Bai Koroma, also took the stands on Thursday regarding the same probe. He said he did not have any idea whether the country sold any shares.
“I was secretary to the president but that doesn’t necessarily mean that I know everything that comes to State House,” he said.
Coker served as Secretary to the President from 2008 to 2018.
When stating his functions he said he was responsible for the administrative management of the Office of the President which included keeping records of correspondences between ministries, departments and agencies.
“I kept copies of correspondence from the president’s office and other MDA’s and they were kept in files that were properly designated,” Coker said.
The probe about the alleged sale of the 30% government shares in Sierra Rutile has come to the fore during proceedings into the activities of the National Minerals Agency and the Ministry of Mines and Minerals Resources.
According to State Counsel the shares happened in 2012, with Dr Samura Kamara – who ran for president last year – the minister in charge when the sale happened.
Justice Georgewill had to stop proceedings to demand that the State Counsel serve Dr Kamara notice to appear, considering the fact that the evidence that had been tendered related to him.
“Dr Samura must be put to notice regarding evidence that touches on his office, regarding the sale of the 30% shares of Sierra Leone in Sierra Rutile Ltd,” Justice Georgewill said.
The issue of the sale of the shares took centre stage during last year’s election cycle. Dr Kamara is expected to be in the commission on Monday to at least listen to the testimony of the Financial Secretary and respond, if necessary.
However, it is not clear whether he will appear. His APC party has vowed to disobey any summon by the commission to appear as witness or give testimony as persons of interest.
This notice comes amid fresh acrimony emanating from last week’s court rulings that led to the APC forfeiting 10 of their parliamentary seats and the subsequent police crackdown when party members protested.
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