By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
The Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) together with the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), 50/50 Group, Initiative for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ), the Eminent Women Peace Mediators Sierra Leone (EWPM-SL) and the Citizen’s Barray have through the Rights to Access Information Law requested a copy of the final report of the tribunal set up to investigate the suspended Auditor-General, Lara Tailor-Pearce and her Deputy, Tamba Momoh.
The aforementioned stakeholders requested for the report from the Secretary to the President as well as the Attorney- General and Minister of Justice.
The stakeholders noted that access to “this report is a critical step towards promoting transparency, accountability, and public trust in government and judicial systems. The right of the public to information is a foundational principle to our requests in a timely and comprehensive manner in compliance with section 2 of the Right to Access Information Act of 2023.”
It could be recalled that Lara Tailor-Pearce and Tamba Momoh were suspended from office as Auditor and Deputy, respectively on the 11th November, 2021.
Following their suspension, President Julius Maada Bio set up a tribunal to investigate Taylor-Pearce and Momoh “for misconduct and lack of professional performance whilst in office.”
In consultation with the Judicial and Legal Service Commission, the President later appointed Justice Nyawo Finda Jones as Chairperson of the Special tribunal to investigate the former Auditor-General and Deputy.
President Bio received the Report from the Chairperson of the tribunal on the 12th June, 2024 and a subsequent press release from State House explaining the reaction of President Bio said: “following the perusal of the Report, he has accepted all its recommendations, among which is the removal of the suspended Auditor-General and Deputy Auditor-General.”
He had reportedly also directed that the Audit Service Board pursues action for the removal of the suspended Deputy Auditor- General, Momoh. Both the two suspended officials have in a public statement refuted allegations levied against them and had requested access to the tribunal report prior to the recent request by the Civil Society groups.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (05/08/24)
