By Ibrahim Kabba Turay
The ongoing trial of Dr. Samura Kamara and five others versus the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) continued on Monday June 6, 2022, at the Freetown High Court No. 1, presided by Justice Adrian Fisher.
When the court commenced sittings at exactly 11: 24am on Monday, the ACC prosecution team led their 5th prosecution witness, Albert Foday Bioma, who identified himself as an employee of the Bank of Sierra Leone.
The witness said he had been working at the Bank of Sierra Leone for over ten years and in 2019- 2020, he was promoted as Deputy Assistance Director of Foreign Transition and in-charge of all receipt of Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
He added that he also liaise with all banks in Sierra Leone, and also with all foreign transactions involving the Government of Sierra Leone.
He testified that he was aware about most of the transactions meant for the renovation of the Chancery Building in New York.
The ACC witness said the normal procedure of all foreign transactions that Sierra Leone has to do must pass through the Bank of Sierra Leone and later goes to the Accountant General’s Department, and that it must have an authority from MDA implementing the project directly.
The witness tendered all document for payments done for the renovation of the Chancery Building in New York, and that most of the payment passes through the Bank of Sierra Leone before they were posted to the Permanent Mission in New York.
He disclosed that in January 13, 2016, they transferred $103, thousand Dollars from Sierra Leone to New York for the renovation of the Chancery Building in New York.
Also in May 6, 2020, he said they transferred further $435, 632, and on July 21st, 2020, they transferred $435,583 United States Dollars on behalf of Sierra Leone in favour of the Permanent Mission in New York.
He added that in September 5th, 2019, they transferred another $995,428.80 United States Dollars on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone to the United Nations Permanent Mission in New York
After the witness testified, none of the defense counsel cross-examined him and the matter was adjourned to the 10th July, 2022.
