News

By Umaru Fofana

The Director of Support for the UN Mission in Somalia (UNSOM), Amadu Kamara (pictured) has refuted reports that he has been sacked for alleged fraud. 

“The allegations contained in the alleastafrica.com publication are false and unfounded. I am still employed in good standing at the UN”, Kamara told Politico in a telephone interview from Nairobi. 

He said there was no allegation against him at his workplace referring to the publication as “malicious”. 

By Umaru Fofana

An internal audit has revealed corruption amounting to millions of US dollars emanting from the total disregard for procurement procedures in Sierra Leone's ministries of defence, education, agriculture, the police and western area rural council. 

The report by the Audit Service which looks at the period January - October 2015 but has only just been made public after parliament was notified in August, says five major audit entities were examined and an in-depth look at a sample of 72 major contracts. 

By Kemo Cham

Sierra Leone’s Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) has deployed a hi-tech tool designed to let citizens report corruption with more ease and autonomy.

With an internet connected devise, anyone anywhere can download a specially dedicated and interactive app and report corruption, or if they have come across an honest Sierra Leonean.

ACC officials say the new development is part of the Commission’s latest project - the ‘Pay No Bribe’ campaign, launched late last month.

Sierra Leonean actor, Desmond Finney has been crowned Best Foreign Actor at this year’s Special Movie Awards in The Gambia. 

The maiden awards ceremony was organised by Affrinity Production at the Coco Hotel Resort in Banjul on 30 September, and celebrated filmmakers across the continent were in attendance. It attracted guests from South Africa, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and Britain.

Two other Sierra Leoneans were also awarded: Mamud Jalloh of AYV TV won Best Editor and Collins Archie Pierce won Best Foreign Movie for Ibu in Sierra Leone. 

By Septimus Senessie in Kono

Three members of a family of six have perished, after lightening struck their home on Saturday in Kono district, eastern Sierra Leone.

The incident occurred at 39 Gbetuwa Street in the headquarter town of Koidu, killing a woman, her son and her adopted daughter.

The remaining three members of the family, all of them children, were unharmed.

By Tanu Jalloh

Sierra Leone on Monday introduced tough new measures including massive cuts in a bid to tackle the current economic crisis in the country. 

The announcement, which followed an emergency cabinet meeting, also proposed stern measures that will force “all business outfits to pay outstanding arrears of taxes within 30 days”.

By Tanu Jalloh

Country economist at the World Bank office in Sierra Leone says the Ebola epidemic in 2014/2015 did not directly affect the iron ore sector in the country, citing drop in prices of commodities as a major reason.  

Yusuf Bob Foday recently told journalists at their Howe Street offices in Freetown that before the Ebola outbreak in 2014 iron ore sector players, African Minerals and London Mining, could not produce much and the price per tonne of iron ore had dropped from US$103 in 2012 to below US$40 in 2014.