By Mohamed Foday Conteh
High Court proceedings in the corruption trial of officials of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA) took a new dimension on Thursday 8th July, 2021 when lawyers of some of the accused persons frowned at the line of questioning adopted by their colleague representing the 2nd Accused Peter Joseph Menjor former head of procurement unit.
The lawyers for the other accused persons envisioned that the line of questioning by the colleague representing the second accused could help vindicate his client but implicate their clients, a charge denied by lawyer I. Mansaray.
Lawyer Kamanda, counsel for the 2nd accused presented a series of exhibits, among them documents setting out the bid process in which companies like Vision Builders, Al Umar Ventures among others participated in the bidding process in question and the over Le 2 billion contract awarded to V. M Kodami as the most responsive bidders.
Prosecution witness and investigator of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Foray told the court that he conducted the investigation that culminated in the accused persons being indicted. He said he had three interview sessions with the first accused Paul Sobba Massaquoi in which the accused denied all allegations.
Responding to questions from lawyer I. I. Mansaray for the first accused, the witness said that inter-sectoral meeting was held with participants including members of parliament and other stakeholders. He said that the 1st accused told him that it was during that meeting that he presented a calendar of the SLMA. The exhibit was tendered in court with the witness confirming that it contains a list of people who attended the meeting.
He said the first accused told him that the participants at the meeting including the Supervisory Ministry, the Board Chairman and staff of the institution unanimously agreed on the need for the renovation of the SLMA building because it was in a deplorable condition.
While confirming to the court that it is within the ambit of an investigator to confirm the veracity of such a document, the witness said that the approval for the facelift came from management.
A letter of request written by the first accused to the Ministry of Transport and Aviation seeking approval for the facelift and a reply by the Ministry acceding to the request was tendered in court.
The witness also told the court that the 1st accused had informed him that the office of the Chief Minister was aware of the said project. He said there was no document to verify that the National Public Procurement Authority had knowledge of the procurement processes.
The lawyer for the 1st accused person, presented a series of documents in court which included an email from his client to the NPPA Boss affirming that he lacks expertise in procurement processes and that he was looking forward to the expertise of the NPPA boss, a record of a taking over of responsibility prepared by the current NPPA boss and a list of procurement activities done by the SLMA.
At different times during the proceedings the State prosecutor objected on the grounds that the witness was not an expert in procurement but an ACC investigator.
Paul Sobba Massaquoi, Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA); Peter Joseph Menjor, Acting Director of Procurement, SLMA; Fodie U.K Dabor, the Acting Director of Finance, SLMA; Hartwell Williams, Quality and Assurance Manager, SLMA; Victor Alpha, Human Resource Manager, SLMA; and Festus Musa, Procurement Supervisor of SLMA are all charged with five counts including Conspiracy to Commit a Corruption Offence
Justice Mohamed Bawoh adjourned the matter for the 15th July, 2021.
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