By Sulaiman Aruna Sesay

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) on Wednesday 3rd April 2024, issued out a press release urgently calling for the tribunal’s decision to be delivered after three months following the conclusion of the tribunal which was set up to investigate the Auditor General’s and one of her Deputies.

The undersigned organizations which include the Budget Advocacy Network, the 50/50 group, the Institute for Legal Research and Advocacy for Justice (ILRAJ), and the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), join together in urging the Tribunal to fulfil its duty and provide its decision, as the matter has been concluded and awaiting a decision since December 22nd, 2023.

According to the press release, Lara Taylor-Pearce (Auditor General) and Tamba Momoh (Deputy Auditor General) were suspended in November 2021 on allegations of ‘personal misconduct.’ The tribunal reviewed charges around ‘breach of confidentiality and professional misconduct’ relating to the contact of third party ‘without the client’s expressed permission (office of the president)’. The release added that, the specific concern was that ‘the Auditor General contacted a hotel in Lebanon to confirm the authenticity of a receipt that was submitted for audit without the expressed permission of the Office of the President’.

The release highlighted that section 23(6) of the constitution of Sierra Leone, Act No.6 of 1991, stipulates that judgement should be delivered in criminal cases within three months after trial. While this one is not a criminal case, the expectation of timely justice remains paramount. The prolonged delay in delivering judgement on this matter is of grave concern to CSOs, media, and citizens alike. Any further delay risks undermining the pursuit of justice and accountability.

“Justice delayed is justice denied. In this case, the outcome holds significant implications for accountability and transparency in Sierra Leone,” said Abu A. Brima, Executive Committee Chairman of the Budget Advocacy Network.