By Mabinty M. Kamara
The Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration, SLMA Paul S. Massaquoi was released on bail by the Anti-corruption Commission yesterday 4th March, 2021 after he was questioned and detained on Wednesday for alleged procurement irregularities.
The Director of Public Education at the Anti-Corruption Commission, Patrick Sandi told Politico that Massaquoi was arrested on Wednesday 4th March in relation to an investigation they are conducting on the institution which has to do with an alleged failure to comply with procurement procedures.
He said “the investigation is ongoing and it’s normal that once you have been able to get so much that you think you have reached that points of the allegations and you have the suspect, it is but important that you bring them in and put them on bail so that you can have access to them anytime you need them.”
Asked whether the SLMA boss should step aside while the investigation is taking place, Sandi replied that it was not in their mandate to determine whether he was to step aside from his duty or to continue serving. He said the law requires that when somebody is indicted at that point the ACC comes in to enforce that they step aside but that as long as the matter is still being investigated there is no law preventing an accused from resuming duty. “When we indict persons they have to be suspended when they are convicted they are dismissed but at the moment we have not yet charged him to court. He is just under investigation,” Sandi said.
Asked whether the institution would ask Mr. Massaquoi to step aside as the investigations proceed, the Public Relations Officer of SLMA, Mohamed Kamara said his boss was already back on duty, noting that for the ACC to invite people for questioning is normal especially when they want to clarify issues with an institution.
He added that the ACC has done systems review for the institution and so most of the issues being investigated now covers 2017 when the new boss was not in charge.
Mr. Massaquoi is the third person to be appointed by President Julius Maada Bio to serve as head of that institution since 2018.
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