SLRSA Chief Attacks Media in Bid to Conceal Massive Corruption
In a blatant attempt to silence the press and undermine journalistic integrity, the Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), Rev. Smart K. Senessie, has taken extreme measures to muzzle the Managing Editor of Salone Compass, Ibrahim Alusine Kamara (popularly known as Kamalo). After a damning report published by the newspaper exposed massive corruption at the SLRSA Moyamba Station, the Executive Director, instead of addressing the alarming accusations, resorted to heavy-handed tactics by ordering Kamalo’s arrest through the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on baseless charges of cyber bullying.
This cowardly act is a gross violation of press freedom, an undeniable cornerstone of democracy. Rather than answering for the serious allegations of fraud and corruption within the institution he leads, Rev. Senessie has chosen to deflect and suppress. The accusations highlighted by Salone Compass—system operators manipulating bank numbers to commit fraud, and the existence of nonfunctional stations under false pretenses—warrant investigation by anti-corruption bodies, not retribution against the press.
The effort to arrest Kamalo is part of a larger campaign to stifle critical voices and intimidate journalists who dare expose malfeasance in state institutions. Rev. Senessie’s strategy of personal vendetta, masquerading as a defense of integrity, is nothing short of a brazen attack on the free press—a key pillar of transparency in any functioning democracy. By abusing his authority to target journalists, he is not only derailing the fight against corruption but actively engaging in attempts to cover it up.
The corruption at the Moyamba station, which has since been acknowledged by SLRSA, was not a mere isolated incident. It has expanded to include other stations such as Pujehun, proving the magnitude of fraud occurring under Senessie’s watch. Yet, instead of owning up to these revelations, he had the audacity to publicly dismiss the investigation as “rubbish” and falsely claim that the Salone Compass article was “misinformation.” This blatant disregard for accountability is a clear sign of the rot within SLRSA, and the internal investigations promised by Senessie are nothing more than an orchestrated farce to shield the institution from external scrutiny.
It is telling that Senessie, in his arrogance, chose to set up an internal committee rather than invite the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to investigate. His selective use of internal probes while overlooking the ACC is a classic case of micromanaging an outcome that suits his agenda. The Sierra Leonean public, meanwhile, remains in the dark about the full extent of the fraud because those responsible for upholding transparency are the very ones perpetrating the cover-up.
More alarming, however, is the fact that Senessie has displayed an open contempt for Sierra Leone’s Parliamentary oversight. After the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) ordered the Union Trust Bank (UTB) Kenema Branch to repay funds uncovered in the 2022 Auditor General’s report, Senessie took to social media to claim he had secured leniency for the head of station implicated in the fraud. This posturing reveals a man more interested in manipulating outcomes than seeking justice. PAC Chairman, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, refuted Senessie’s claims, stating he had never discussed the matter with him after the PAC’s ruling. This further underscores the depths of Senessie’s duplicity.
The public must wake up to the disturbing reality: the SLRSA, once a revenue-generating entity for the government, is now in financial turmoil, struggling to meet its basic obligations, including paying its staff. Yet, instead of focusing on resolving these glaring issues, Senessie has diverted his energies to suppressing the truth and silencing the press.
This is a direct appeal to both the public and the international community to take notice of these authoritarian tactics. Rev. Senessie’s actions are not just an affront to Salone Compass; they are an assault on the fundamental right to press freedom and the essential role that journalism plays in fighting corruption. We cannot, and should not, allow a state institution to become a tool for the personal vendettas of an executive director bent on evading accountability.
The time has come for the Anti-Corruption Commission, civil society groups, and international watchdogs to intervene and condemn these deplorable acts. The international community, particularly those invested in Sierra Leone’s democratic process and rule of law, must hold individuals like Rev. Senessie accountable for their blatant disregard for transparency and justice. His brazen attempts to intimidate journalists are an attack on the very principles of democracy.
In the face of mounting evidence, the question remains: will Sierra Leone’s justice system rise to the occasion and put an end to this brazen cover-up, or will it allow powerful individuals like Rev. Smart K. Senessie to continue undermining press freedom and obstructing the fight against corruption?
The people of Sierra Leone deserve answers—and not through the arrest of whistleblowers, but through transparency, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to justice. Let Rev. Senessie know that the era of silencing the press is over, and his attempts to muzzle the truth will not go unchallenged.