By Mohamed Foday Conteh
Former Chairperson of the Board of Trustees of the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT), Yeabu M. D. Kamara has been fined the sum of 50 million Leones by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Court during Thursday 5 August 2021 proceedings.
Kamara was arraigned in court after the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) indicted her and Joseph Sedu Mans (deceased), former NASSIT Director-General, on 6 counts of corruption offences.
According to the court, the pair were indicted on the 29th December 2018 on various charges including engaging in a project without prior planning, wilfully failing to comply with the law relating to the tendering of contract, misappropriation of public funds and 3 other separate charges of conspiracy to commit a corruption offence.
It was alleged by the ACC that Mans and Kamara between the 1st August 2016 and 31st December 2017 engaged in a project without prior plans with one Sisimi Medical Foundation Incorporation. The said Medical Foundation was to have been constructed to provide high quality medical care in the country. It was also alleged that the pair together with other unknown persons conspired to commit a corruption offence. It was also said that they conspired with other unknown persons to enter into a Joint Venture Agreement (JVA) with the same Sisimi Medical Foundation.
The former NASSIT staff were also linked with the misappropriation of public funds. The indictment also indicated that the pair together with other unknown persons misappropriated public funds sometime around the 27th September 2016 when they facilitated and disbursed the sum of Le 6,510,290,000 (Six billion, five hundred and ten million, two hundred and ninety thousand Leones) an equivalent of 1 million US Dollars at the time. The said payment was made to Sisimi Medical Foundation.
Justice Miatta Samba in delivering her judgment drew reference from all witnesses that testified in the trial and the arguments put forward by both State Counsel Calvin Matsebo and lawyer Yillah representing the 2nd accused person. The judge acquitted and discharged Kamara of count 5 (misappropriation of public funds) and 6 (conspiracy to commit a corruption offence). She was however found guilty on count 1 and 4 (engaging in a project without prior planning), count 2 (conspiracy to commit a corruption offence) and count 3 (wilfully failing to comply with the law relating to tendering of contract).
Before handing down of judgement, Lawyer Yillah told the judge that her client had spent over 30 years as public servant before her appointment to NASSIT. He said that she was an old woman of over 70 years with several dependants and pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.
Lawyer Matsebo, counsel for the ACC, drew the attention of the judge when considering punishment as enshrined in the ACC Act. He also added that this should serve as a deterrent to ensure that public officials are cognizant of the necessary guidelines when dealing with contracts.
Justice Samba cautioned and discharged Kamara on counts 1, 2 and 4, but levied a fine of Le 50 million Leones on Kamara for count 3.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online
