News

By Crispina Cummings

National social security and insurance trust, NASSIT, is to recover over Le 1 billion from seven districts, towns and city councils across the country.

The Bonthe Municipality owes the Trust Le 17m, Bonthe District Council Le70 m, Bo City Council Le 541m, Bo District Council Le 84m, UBC Le85m, Western Area Rural District Council owes Le40m, Makeni City Council owes Le 439m and the Koinadugu District Council owes Le 87m.

By Bampia James Bundu

The Supreme Court has levied a Le 3 million fine on the main opposition Sierra Leone People's Party after it was sued by one of its members, Alie Bangura, who lost in the election won by Chief Somano Kapen as party chairman and leader.

Bangura alleges that the election was rigged and unfair, hence his decision to go to court. The winners of the election have denied any wrongdoing accusing Bangura and his supporters of being sore losers.

By Bampia James Bundu

The Anti-Corruption Commission has officially launched its 2014-2018 National Strategy - NACS - to promoting a corruption-free society "in which good governance, effective and efficient public financial management and the rule of law are upheld”.

ACC Commissioner, Joseph Kamara described corruption as “an endemic and systemic ailment that has the potential to crumble the economic development and strength of a country by the embezzlement of government financial resources and institutions”.

By Crispina Cummings

A special parliamentary select committee on nongovernmental organisations has ordered the Environmental Justice Foundation, EJF, to stop operations.

EJF is an organisation operating in and dedicated to marine and related issues in the Bonthe district.

The committee chairman, Claude Kamanda, MP, said they had reached that conclusion after they found out that the organisation was operating "illegally" in the country.

“They have not renewed their operations license since it expired in 2012”, he said.

By Crispina Cummings

Parliament on Wednesday engaged top officials of the Sierra Leone police on information-sharing and the need for continuous dialogue.

Deputy Speaker, Chernor Bah said the police and parliament needed to work together in to enhance mutual development, adding that the two institutions co-existed to maintain peace and security in the country.

By Bampia James Bundu

Telecoms operator Africell is set to give away a whooping sum of Le 500 million to subscribers taking part in the “Play and Win” promotion.

At the launch in Freetown, chief corporate affairs officer of Africell, Joe Abass Bangura, explained that the “Play and Win” campaign would allow subscribers to win cash prizes on a daily basis.

...As Sierra Leone sacks Chief of Staff

President Ernest Bai Koroma last night sacked his Chief of Defence Staff, Dr Richard Konteh. A press release from State House gave as reason the allegation that "he was not open and transparent in the conduct of official negotiations for a mining agreement with a private sector operator, thereby violating established policy, undermining existing institutional arrangements, and exposing government to potential loss of revenue". It is not clear which mining company it is.