By Aminata Phedilia Alie
The Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission has suffered a huge blow as five more officials from the Ministry of Health who were indicted for alleged misappropriation of donor funds have all walked away as free men. They include the Director of Medical Service, Dr Kizito Dao. It follows another batch of five whom the ACC also failed to successful prosecute, prompting concerns over the effectiveness of the commission’s prosecutors to do their job. The health practitioners were indicted in March this year alongside 24 others from various government institutions in the country over missing funds donated by GAVI meant for children’s vaccination. Though the five were jointly charged with 20 counts of misappropriation of donor funds to the tune of over Le 118 million they were prosecuted on 4 counts and convicted on none. The latest acquittals by a Freetown high court were for "lack of sufficient evidence" whiles charges against several others were dropped. Delivering his ruling yesterday, Justice Abdulai Cham said the prosecution "failed to establish its case against each of the accused persons for each of the counts they are charged with". The application by the defense counsels was upheld by Justice Cham who also ordered that cost be paid to each of the accused persons because "that section was not inserted into the act for nothing". The acquitted and discharged persons are the chief medical officer, Dr. Kizito Dao, Director of Primary Health Care, Dr. Alhassan L. Sesay, Director of Hospital and Laboratory Services, Dr. Duramany Conteh, Director of Human Resources and Nursing, Dr. A. A. Sandy and Edward Bai Kamara the Permanent Secretary at the health ministry. The ACC has not yet reacted to the judgment beyond saying that it is "reviewing and analyzing" it with the possibility of an appeal. © Politico Online 25/10/13
