By Abass Jalloh
Executive Director of Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA) Paul S. Massaquoi and five other officials of the institution have been acquitted and discharged of all corruption charges at a Freetown High Court. Justice Mohamed Bawoh, at the Anti-Corruption Division of the High Court No. 5 freed Massaquoi and the other men who had faced five counts of corruption offences allegedly committed during their tenure of office.
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on the 31st May 2021 filed an indictment against Massaquoi, Peter Joseph Menjor- Acting Procurement Director, Fodie U.K Dabor- Acting Finance Director, Hartwell Williams- Quality and Assurance Manager, Victor Alpha-Human Resource Manager and Festus Musa -Procurement Supervisor. They were accused of conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines, abuse of ofice, and knowingly misleading the commission.
According to the ACC, the charges concerned wilful failure to conduct a bidding process on diverse dates between December 2020 and May 2021 as required by sections 37 and 39 of the Public Procurement Act No. 1 of 2016, in relation to the rehabilitation of the SLMA headoffice building in Freetown.
The prosecution also alleged that Massaquoi, Menjor, Dabor, Williams and Alpha on the same date failed to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to the procurement of works of the said rehabilitation.
Massaquoi, on a separate count, was charged for abuse of his office by failing to follow due process to the awarding of a contract to a construction company. The others were also accused of knowingly misleading the ACC between February and March 2021 by giving false statements over the procurement process for the said renovation.
Additionally, Menjor, was alleged to have misled knowingly the ACC between 16th February and 26th March 2021 when he gave false statements by saying that a due procurement process according to law was undertaken for the renovation.
The prosecution led in evidence a total of 11 witnesses in proving their case.
Upon first arraignment in 2021, all of the accused persons said they were not guilty of the said indictments.
In his ruling on Wednesday December 21, Justice Bawoh stated that the prosecution had failed as required by law to prove the men guilty beyond reasonable doubt, hence their acquittal and discharge.
The judge also noted that during the hearing of testimony of witnesses there was doubt as to when actually the services of the men were terminated and when the procurement processes were done, adding that in fact some of the signatures in question were not presented in original copies. “That is where the conclusion lies as the PW3 could not establish beyond reasonable doubt,” he said.
Defense lawyers, Ibrahim Issa Mansaray, Hindolo Moiwo Ngevao, and Jesse Munda Jengo were part of the defense team while Lawyer Amara Koiva led the prosecution.
According to SLMA, the administration operates and governs the registry in accordance with the Sierra Leone Merchant Shipping Act of 2003 and conducts vessels registration and seafarers certification with the aim to ensure safety of life at sea and protection of the marine environment in order for vessels under the registry to be fit for service for which are intended and manned with competent marine personnel.
Copyright © 2022 Politico Online (23/12/22)
