By Kemo Cham
Former President Ernest Bai Koroma finally availed himself for questioning by agents of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday, ending months of stalemate that had mounted political tension in the country.
The ACC said late Monday that its agents "interview" the former president at one of its “secured safe houses", although it didn't disclose the location.
The interview which lasted for about six hours, according to an ACC officials, represented a breakthrough, coming about a week after the former president failed to show up, despite been invited repeatedly by the ACC.
Koroma is under investigation for suspected involvement in corruption during his 10-year (2007-2018) at the helm of affairs in the country. He is wanted alongside over 100 former officials who served in his administration. They were named in the reports of the Commissions of Inquiry (COI) set up by President Julius Maada Bio in 2018 after assuming office.
Among the charges Koroma and his colleagues face include money laundering and unexplained wealth.
But the former President and his main opposition All People’s Congress (APC) have dismissed the allegations as witch hunt, saying that the Bio administration is seeking to tarnish his image and that of his party.
Monday’s development followed three failed attempts by the ACC to question Koroma. In one instance in October, agents of the Commission were prevented from accessing his residence in the northern district of Makeni, where he has been living since his retirement in 2018.
Last week another attempt to get Koroma to face the ACC agents failed, with his lawyers citing security concerns for his failure to show up at the ACC’s headquarters. Koroma himself later tweeted, reaffirming his commitment to defend his name given the right environment.
Politico learnt that Monday’s meeting was made possible thanks to the intervention of the United Kingdom High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Simon Mustard.
The ACC said in a statement that the “interview” will continue at an undisclosed date, as agreed between its agents and Koroma’s lawyers.
Ade Macauly, one of the lawyers of the former president, reiterated his position. He said Koroma had committed himself to the fight against corruption and he demonstrated that by signing into law the ACC Act, which further empowered it.
“Our clients had committed himself to the fight against corruption and he demonstrated that by signing into law the ACC Act, which is the most robust law in Africa,” he said, adding that his own officials were prosecuted under his watch for alleged corruption.
Macauley denied that Koroma gave in to pressure and availed himself for questioning due to threats by the ACC to issue a warrant of arrest for him. He said as long as the conducive environment prevailed, Koroma would continue to present himself.
Macauley also said that the questioning centered on five issues. He however declined to comment on the specific issues, saying that they were among those mentioned in the COI which were already in the public domain.
Emmanuel Koivaya Amara, Coordinator of Operations at the ACC, told Politico that Koroma was “very cooperative” in that he provided answers to all questions raised by the investigators.
Like Koroma’s lawyers, the ACC wouldn’t go into detail on the issues the former president was question on.
Amara said the interview represented just 20 percent of the entire questions the Commission has for him.
And although he wouldn’t give any timeline as to how long the investigation would last, Amara said after the interview the files will be submitted to prosecutors for advice on the next move.
Copyright © 2020 Politico Online
