By Ibrahim Alusine Kamara (Kamalo)
The Audit Report for the Fiscal Year 2023 has implicated the office of Chief Minister in a kind of reckless defiance to financial obligation involving the payment of accumulated Withholding Taxes to the National Revenue Authority (NRA).
The Report suggests that withholding tax totalling five hundred three thousand one hundred fifty-four New Leones eighty cents (NLe503,154.80) which in Old Leones is five hundred and three million one hundred and fifty-four thousand eighty Leones was deducted from payments made to suppliers and service providers but its evidence of payments to NRA could not be submitted to the auditors for inspection.
And even though officials at the Chief Minister’s office said they had taken steps to ensure that the Director of Finance not just pay the said sum of withholding taxes to NRA upon receiving the fourth quarter allocation, but retain the receipts for the auditor’s verification, at the time of the auditors’ verification, two months into the fourth quarter, there was no evidence of payment of the said sum of NLe503,154.80.
In another fraud related occurrence, auditors could not get some fourteen (14) members of staff at the Chief Minister’s office for verification. This gap was discovered during review of the staff list and payroll to ascertain if the salaries paid during the Fiscal Year 2023 fell into the hands of eligible employees. Not only that but the staff personal files
containing copies of the employment records and payroll vouchers were not submitted for audit
inspection.
Again, though the officials said they had taken the auditors’ recommendation with seriousness and had engaged the staff in question to be ready for verification, as the records and payroll vouchers of the staff were also ready for review, the auditors observed, at last, that only thirteen 13 members of staff could be verified while the one member of staff, who is an “Executive Assistant” could not be available for verification.
Sadly, the seeming “ghost” Executive Assistant had received a total salary of two hundred thirty thousand six hundred sixteen New Leones (NLe230,616.00) or two hundred and thirty million six hundred sixteen thousand Old Leones.
The Chief Minister’s Office is considered to be the third highest office in the land, though some of its functions collude with those of the Vice President’s Office, the second highest seat of power. As it is, the Chief Minister’s Office enjoys the status of that of a Prime Minister, not only helping the president in administrating the state, but manage and supervise all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs).
Therefore, it propels extensive doubt how transparency and accountability could be maintained in the use of public funds if top state offices that should be role models are implicated in malfeasance and improprieties. Who might have pocketed the colossal sum of NLe503,154.80 from the deducted withholding tax is another question being asked by many. It beggars belief also to note that a “ghost” worker in the position of an Executive Assistant with mouthwatering salary could be discovered in the third highest office of the country.
The one-million-dollar question now on the lips of many Sierra Leoneans is how the Chief Minister would effectively manage and supervise the MDAs free from being corrupt if such alleged dishonest activities take toll on his Ministry.
It should be noted that the auditors also indicate the discovery of three (3) “ghost” workers in the office of the Vice President. The malfeasance, fraud and corruption, including alleged double-dipping, Forgery of receipts and money laundry related activities that the auditors have been observing over the years in the highest offices of the land call for robust oversight functions by those concerned. It should also warrant a decisive action from the anti-graft institution, otherwise, public trust in the government will be entirely eroded.