By Kemo Cham
The former head of the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), Alie Badara Mansaray, has been indicted by the Anti-Corruption Commission.
Mansaray, who headed the Commission from 2014 to 2018, was indicted for corruption alongside Richard Turay, who was his Finance Director.
The two former top officials were each slammed with two counts of conspiracy to commit a corruption offence and misappropriation of public funds.
According to a statement from the ACC, the two conspired with unknown persons to misappropriate the sum total of US$96, 797, and Le84, 775, 131.
The monies were said to be provident funds deducted from NaCSA staff salaries.
The ACC statement dated May 7 says the indictment was filed on May 3. The two men are expected to make their first appearance at the High Court of Sierra Leone on May 13.
NaCSA is a semi-autonomous government agency which complements the work of social sector ministries, agencies and local government authorities in delivering social services to deprived and remote communities across the country.
It was established immediately following the end of the civil war to provide social relief programmes.
Working in collaboration with relevant government ministries, NGOs, private sector partners and other interested partners, NaCSA seeks to promote community-based demand-driven and sustainable development activities leading to the alleviation of poverty and improvement in the speed, quality and impact of development initiatives.
The Government Transition Team set up by President Julius Maada Bio shortly after assuming office mentioned NaCSA and specifically singled out Mr Mansaray in relation to the alleged misappropriation of the provident fund scheme. The scheme is a sort of retirement benefit for staff of the Commission who, unlike other government employees, do not enjoy end-of-service benefit.
This is the latest high profile indictment of former officials of the Ernest Bai Koroma administration by the current government of Bio who campaigned on the platform of rooting out graft and indiscipline in governance.
The ACC alone currently has dozens of cases under investigations. The new leadership of the anti-graft agency particularly intensified the campaign with the appointment of Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala.
Since his assumption of office in June 2018, the Commission has indicted 22 substantive and former government officials for corruption, among them two former deputy ministers in the Works ministry and a former board chair at the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT).
The Commission has vowed to pursue this course to ensure corruption is controlled at all levels.
© 2019 Politico Online
