Sierra Leone Anti-corruption Commission
Encyclopedia
The Sierra Leone Anti-corruption Commission (ACC-SL) was established by the Anti-Corruption Act passed by the Sierra Leone Parliament in 2000. It supersedes the 1960 Prevention of Corruption Act.
to investigate rampant corruption in public agencies, then beginning to receive renewed foreign investment. The 2000 Anti-Corruption Act established the ACC as an independent commission to investigate government corruption. The ACC was partially funded and staffed by foreign (mostly British
) experts, although in 2007 the British government withdrew support claiming the ACC were not given broad enough powers.
Its first major action was to order the arrest of Sierra Leone's Minister of Transport and Communications Momoh Pujeh and his wife for involvement in the illegal diamond trade which funded much of the Civil War. Corruption is seen as a generalised problem of huge proportions in Sierra Leone, and a contributing factor to the outbreak and continuation of the bloody civil war which destroyed the nation. As late as 2007, the government itself admitted that entire ministries failed to produce any work, as their entire budgets were being diverted through corruption. A BBC journalist interviewed the Foreign Minister in 2007 and found that her office toilets were never connected to water sources as construction contractors failed to carry out jobs for which they were paid.
The ACC has been accused of lacking political will to tackle the nation's endemic public corruption. One foreign commentator accused the pre-2004 ACC in a World Bank
study of being a "Phoney" reform organisation, created to "appease foreign donors" but not effectively fight government corruption.
(DFID), the ACC's primary funder.
In 2005, its power to prosecute was removed from the office of the Sierra Leone Attorney General, and given to an independent three person body. In early 2008, the commission's powers were again amended to give it direct arrest and prosecutorial powers following the electoral victory of President Ernest Bai Koroma
in September 2007 on a platform that made new anti-corruption actions a central plank. In October 2007, Henry Joko-Smart was removed as chair, accused of not doing enough to move prosecutions forward, and replaced with human-rights lawyer Abdul Tejan-Cole
. Active cases have dramatically increased from 2004. Notable 2008 prosecution targets included the former senior Sierra Leonian government Ombudsman
and 12 officials of the Customs and Excise Department of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) as well as one police officer connected with the NRA.
Formation
The ACC was established following the 1990s civil warSierra Leone Civil War
The Sierra Leone Civil War began on 23 March 1991 when the Revolutionary United Front , with support from the special forces of Charles Taylor’s National Patriotic Front of Liberia , intervened in Sierra Leone in an attempt to overthrow the Joseph Momoh government...
to investigate rampant corruption in public agencies, then beginning to receive renewed foreign investment. The 2000 Anti-Corruption Act established the ACC as an independent commission to investigate government corruption. The ACC was partially funded and staffed by foreign (mostly British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
) experts, although in 2007 the British government withdrew support claiming the ACC were not given broad enough powers.
Its first major action was to order the arrest of Sierra Leone's Minister of Transport and Communications Momoh Pujeh and his wife for involvement in the illegal diamond trade which funded much of the Civil War. Corruption is seen as a generalised problem of huge proportions in Sierra Leone, and a contributing factor to the outbreak and continuation of the bloody civil war which destroyed the nation. As late as 2007, the government itself admitted that entire ministries failed to produce any work, as their entire budgets were being diverted through corruption. A BBC journalist interviewed the Foreign Minister in 2007 and found that her office toilets were never connected to water sources as construction contractors failed to carry out jobs for which they were paid.
The ACC has been accused of lacking political will to tackle the nation's endemic public corruption. One foreign commentator accused the pre-2004 ACC in a World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
study of being a "Phoney" reform organisation, created to "appease foreign donors" but not effectively fight government corruption.
Reforms
In November 2005, ACC head Valentine Collier was himself sacked, accused of involvement in corruption, although his defenders argue he was sacrificed by the Sierra Leone parliament to appease the British government's Department for International DevelopmentDepartment for International Development
The Department For International Development is a United Kingdom government department with a Cabinet Minister in charge. It was separated from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1997. The goal of the department is "to promote sustainable development and eliminate world poverty". The current...
(DFID), the ACC's primary funder.
In 2005, its power to prosecute was removed from the office of the Sierra Leone Attorney General, and given to an independent three person body. In early 2008, the commission's powers were again amended to give it direct arrest and prosecutorial powers following the electoral victory of President Ernest Bai Koroma
Ernest Bai Koroma
Ernest Bai Koroma is the fourth and current President of Sierra Leone. He was sworn in as President on 17 September 2007 at the State House in the capital Freetown, shortly after being declared the winner of a tense run-off in the 2007 Sierra Leone presidential election with 54.6% of the vote over...
in September 2007 on a platform that made new anti-corruption actions a central plank. In October 2007, Henry Joko-Smart was removed as chair, accused of not doing enough to move prosecutions forward, and replaced with human-rights lawyer Abdul Tejan-Cole
Abdul Tejan-Cole
Abdul Tejan-Cole is a Sierra Leonean legal practitioner and the Commissioner of Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission. He was awarded the 2001 Human Rights Watch award....
. Active cases have dramatically increased from 2004. Notable 2008 prosecution targets included the former senior Sierra Leonian government Ombudsman
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
and 12 officials of the Customs and Excise Department of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) as well as one police officer connected with the NRA.