By Sahid Bangura

Among the vast numbers of ministries disclosed for embezzlement and mismanagement of money and properties, report has proven that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs And International Cooperation has one of the worst records of service as it was implicated of embezzling public funds and properties worth billions of Leones.

As forwarded by the Audit Service Report, even though recommendations were made to the Ministry in the previous year, the Ministry still continues to lavish public money with the use of “payment vouchers” and other “relevant supporting documents” to support the use of the funds. According to the report, of the “SLE1, 398, 012,” that was withdrawn from the bank by the Ministry, only 80% was reported, leaving a balance of “SLE277, 601.”

A special imprest of the Ministry who was supposed to retire 30 days after the completion of the activities, breached the requirement, and a total amount of “SLE985, 000 was paid to two officers to facilitate the travel of Ministers.” The Ministry, after being reminded and requested to provide the retirement details of the special overseas imprest of SLE985, 000, they neither adhere nor provide any supporting documents.

The Ministry was also implicated of paying double salaries to its staff. According to the report, seven staff who were positioned at the foreign missions, were still receiving salaries from both headquarters and foreign missions, and a staff who was returned and assumed duty at the headquarters, received salary from both headquarters and the foreign mission he was assigned to.

Of the amount SLE125,380.82 and US$9,400 which were paid to the staff, respectively, 70% of SLE125,380.82 totalling SLE88,190,85 was recovered, leaving a balance of SLE37,189.97, and a salary amounting US$9,400 was neither recovered, nor paid into the CF.

The report also revealed that in June 2022, the Ministry posted an officer at the United Kingdom as a Cultural Attaché without any evidence for his assumption of duty, and “received a total of SLE194, 648 (being posting allowance of SLE112, 745 and air tickets of SLE81, 900 for the staff and family)” The Ministry claimed that the officer was sent by State House, but upon sending a letter to State House, the Audit Service did not receive any supporting documents relating to said matter.

In relations to rule 9.28 of the Civil Service Code, Regulations and Rules, 2021 guided the payment of school fees for dependent children attending school at the mission up to age 18, the report disclosed that a payments for child and education allowances amounted to US$16,900, £4,700.06 and €9,038.7 were made for nine children who were above the age of 18.

Also, amounts of US$8,450 and €20,487.72 were paid to four foreign mission staff for child and education allowances. As stated in the report, the Ministry did not provide any evidence of the payments made for the child and education allowances for the nine children, and the children of the four staff who received money for child and education allowances.

The Ministry was also incriminated for the disappearance of 12 vehicles which was donated to them by the Government of the People’s Republic of China on the 4th April 2022. According to the report, the various Managing Directors of the Ministry received 8 of the vehicles donated to them, and 4 vehicles were retained in the Ministry, but “neither the distribution list not the eight vehicles were submitted for audit inspection.