The Mayor of Kenema City, Joseph Samba Kelfala, yesterday openly apologised to Members of Parliament (MPSs) after the findings of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) clearly exonerated the MPs from an allegation of soliciting an advantage to perform their duties.
Sometimes last year, Mayor Kelfala requested the ACC to investigate some MPs including the Chairman of the Finance Committee in Parliament, Hon Hassan Sheriff and others for allegedly demanding the sum of Le 20 million (twenty Million Leones) from officials of the Kenema City Council who were at that time defending their 2014 budget before the Committee.
The allegation made against MPs catches public attention including ACC as it was made during the ‘Gud Morning Salone’ programme on Radio Democracy which many people listen to between the hours of 7:30 to 9:00am.
Some people were blaming Parliament forf deliberately delaying the approval of the Kenema City Council 2015 budget allocation simply because of the allegation against them, despite the fact that officials from the Council were unable to account for sum monies which they were asked to go and restructure their financial statement for the year 2014.
According to a letter written by the Commissioner of ACC, Joseph F. Kamara, addressed to the Leadership of Parliament with title: ‘Investigating report on allegation of corruption against some Members of Parliament’, who were accused of soliciting an advantage in discharging their duties. Upon conclusion on an in-depth and exhaustive investigation on the allegation, the findings did not meet the thresholds for criminal prosecution under the ACC Act 2008.
The letter went further to state that the ‘Commission did not get independent evidence to substantiate any Member of Parliament solicited and or accepted an advantage from officials of the Kenema City Council’, as it went on to call on Parliament to work together with Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to clear the perception that monies and favours were being demanded during Budgetary, Appointment and pre-legislative hearings.
According to the Clerk of Parliament, based on the letter form ACC, a letter was sent to Mayor Kelfala informing him about a meeting with Members of Parliament scheduled for November 3rd 2015 which he honoured and another for the 17th of the same month.
Having read the letters in the well of Parliament, the Speaker, Hon Chernor Bah, asked the Mayor if he had anything to say with reference to the letters.
Mayor Joseph Kelfala maintained that ‘having consulted my Council and Legal advisers, I have been advised that ACC is the rightful institution that investigates matters relating to corruption, and the report which they have given bearing that they could not get an independent person to testify what I was told by one of my Administrative Clerks the transactions between them and the Committee members. I have no options, its only fools and God that would not change. I apologise on behalf of my Council, I apologise on behalf of myself”.
He explained that the ACC is a reputable organisation and anything they are about to investigate, once it is concluded ‘I have no option but to apologise to the Committee on behalf of the House’.
Based on these statements, the Kenema Mayor was dismissed by the Speaker of Parliament as he had openly apologised orally and in writing.
By Alhaji M. Kamara
Wednesday November 25, 2015
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