Commission of Inquiry Former President’s brother asked to refund $504,000 by State lawyer

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Thomas Koroma, the brother of the former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, has been accused of receiving over $504,000 USD for the construction of the National Telecommunications Commission (NATCOM) Headquarter building by the State counsel Robert Kowa. According to Kowa, the Thomas Koroma consultant engineering company TS& Co was hired by the NATCOM management to provide consultancy and guidance for the NATCOM structure. Kowa presented his final submissions with regards to the investigation of NATCOM and its former officials on Monday 3rd February 2020 at the former Special Court compound before Commissioner Bankole Thompson. Kowa told the Commission that the International Construction Company was awarded the construction contract of the building, whilst TS & Co was the consultant for the project. He said the initial cost of the building was $7 million USD, which he stressed eventually escalated to $17 million USD. Kowa maintained that the contract was awarded to TS and Co due to the relationship between the President and the owner of the company, adding that the rightful process was never followed. He argued it was politically motivated. The State counsel furthered that there was a breach in the Procurement Act of 2004 with regards to the awarding of the contract and stated that there was no modification with regards to the over 25% of additional work on the contract. Kowa said the consultancy fee for TS and Co continued to escalate from $700,000 to $1.204 million USD without any amendment of the contract. He added the consultant received an excess of $504,287.72. Kowa said three variations were done with additional work, which involved additional money.

He submitted that the work of the Consultant was not done properly, adding that there was neglect on his part which resulted to huge variations and financial loss on the Government of Sierra Leone of $6.1 million USD. He urged the Commissioner for the former NATCOM, Chair Momoh Konteh, and the NATCOM Former Director Victor Findlay to refund the said amount. He submitted that Thomas Koroma refund the $504,000 USD received in excess of his work. Responding to the submissions made by the Counsel for the State, Ady Macauley, representing the Person of Interest discountenanced all of the submissions made by the State. Macauley said the State has failed to prove its case against his clients, adding that his client, Thomas Koroma, is a well qualified engineer, who got such a contract on the basis of merit. “I submit that there was no political influence in awarding such a contract to Thomas Koroma.” He also pointed out that there was no excess payment made to Koroma with regards to such a contract. He however stated that his client is still owed $200,000 USD from the contract and recommended for such money to be given to his client. Macauley called on the Judge to discountenance all of the refunds asked for by the State counsel, citing that they failed to prove their case beyond all reasonable doubt on his clients.

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