Government has noted the findings of Commissioner Bankole Thompson in which he stated that former National Revenue Authority Commissioner-General, Haja Isata Kallah Kamara as Vote Controller “fell appallingly short of “prudent, efficient and transparent use of the resources” resulting in financial loss to the State.
Both Kallah and Director of Finance, Abdulai Conteh have been asked to repay Le14 billion (Le14,898,616,000.00) to the consolidated Fund within 90 days as stated in the Government’s White Paper. The Commission found, among other things that Management expended Le3.5 billion without budgetary authorization or Board approval. For instance, there were no vouchers to substantiate the claim that Le1.28 billion was expended on buildings and there were no vouchers to substantiate the claim that Le2.322 billion was spent on motor vehicles.
In addition, there was no approval by the Board for Le8.4 billion to be expended on Sensitization, Workshops, and Donations.
Also, the NRA engaged in “fraudulently bloating its payroll”, occasioning “variances and fluctuations in the payments of salaries for staff on a monthly basis”. For example, “the request for payment made by the Human Resource Department was Le25.925 billion as payroll cost for the year January to December 2017, but that the actual release made by the Bank on the instructions of the Director of Finance (Abdulai Conteh) was Le28.988 billion, that is an excess of Le3.06 billion”.
It is the recommendation of Commissioner Thompson that Kallah Kamara refund the total of Le3.5 billion which amount was to have been expended on the purchase of vehicles, but purportedly spent on the renovation of the NRA Office Building, without any documentary or physical evidence of such renovation of any building or any vehicles.
Kallah Kamara and the then Director of Finance, Abdulai Conteh will both pay Le5.8 billion each and Kallah Kamara will also pay an additional Le708 million which the Commissioner says was allegedly paid for the supply of Stationeries to the NRA.
By Zainab Iyamide Joaque