By Saio Marrah
The Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) says six people are to be indicted shortly following the commission’s probe into the unfinished Sierra Leone’s Permanent UN Mission building in Manhattan, New York in the US. According to the ACC, flaws were discovered in procedures over the awarding of contract and expending of monies for renovation and expansion of the structure. Misappropriation of some of the over $ 5 million dollars that should have gone into the construction work was said to have occurred over a nine- year period. It has been alleged that the American Contractor Jules Sandas Davies had no valid documents to undertake the project itself that would have seen two more floors added to the building. The ACC says he is bound to face court action
ACC boss Francis Ben Kaifala told a news conference in Freetown on Wednesday 1 September 2021 that investigations done by the commission have proven that Davies, owner of Fairfield Construction Associates (LLC-NY) subcontracted the work to Empire Company, headed by David Montesi, in New York, as he lacked legal documents.
He noted that the contract agreement was signed between Adikalie Foday Suma, the then Sierra Leone Permanent Representative to the UN, on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone, and Davies for his Fairfield Construction Associates Limited, on the 9th December, 2016.
He said there was no competitive bidding whatsoever. Kaifalla stated that past and present government officials were being investigated including former Finance Minister Dr. Samura Kamara, the present Development and Economic Planning Minister, Dr. Francis KaiKai and one Adikalie Suma who served as the country’s head of mission.
Suma, is a key person of interest to the commission, and is now being sought. He has been given five days to give himself up to the authorities or will be declared a wanted person. President Julius Maada Bio was said to have been disturbed by the sight of the building during an official trip to the US and had immediately drawn the attention of the ACC to the structure. Some neighbours have also filed lawsuits in the US against the government of Sierra Leone for endangering their safety.
Copyright © 2021 Politico Online (03/09/21)
