By Aminata Phidelia Allie
One of the health officials indicted by the Sierra Leone Anti Corruption Commission for alleged misappropriation of donor funds who was convicted in September this year has been sent to prison to serve a 3-year jail term.
Dr. Michael Mathew Amara was tried on 27 counts of misappropriation of donor funds from the GAVI Alliance international. He stood a single trial before the then High Court judge John Bosco Katutsi.
Dr. Amara was found guilty of misappropriating over Le 5 billion being donor funds meant for children’s vaccination in the country. Upon conviction, he was sentenced to a fine a Le 350million or 3 years in prison in default of the fine in September this year.
ACC prosecutor, Oceana George entreated the judge to endorse the alternative sentence on the convict as “the one month period has elapsed and there’s no evidence before the court that he has paid the fine”.
“He was supposed to have paid the fine by 19 October. But we are now in November and he is yet to pay the fine levied on him”, George said.
Ruling, Justice M. A. Paul said he believed the court’s authority was being undermined by not just the doctor but by his counsel as well “who is absent. It is therefore the order of this court that the applicant goes to prison forthwith to serve his jail term of 3 years”.
The judge also endorsed an arrest warrant for Dr. Amara as he was not present in court.
© Politico 07/11/13
