By: Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Officer, ACC
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has on Friday, 17th July 2026, completed the full recovery of over Three Million New Leones (NLe 3,000,000.00), equivalent to Three Billion Old Leones (Le 3,000,000,000), misappropriated from the coffers of the Freetown City Council (FCC), with the presentation of the final cheque by the Commissioner of the ACC, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq., to the Council's Chief Administrator, Rahman Tom Farma. The recovered funds include accrued interest, ensuring that the Council suffers no financial loss from the fraudulent scheme.
The presentation ceremony, held at the Commissioner's Office, Integrity House, Tower Hill, Freetown, marks the successful conclusion of the Commission's intervention in the matter and reaffirms the ACC's unwavering commitment to ensuring that corruption remains both unsuccessful and unprofitable.
The recovery follows the Commission's investigation into the alleged diversion of the Council's revenues through the FCC Football Club account, which was used as a conduit to perpetrate the grand corrupt scheme. Investigations established that the funds had been unlawfully withdrawn by Council staff, with compelling evidence of collusion involving some banking officials. Through its robust asset recovery mechanisms, the Commission was able to trace, recover, and restore the stolen public resources.
This final payment follows the presentation of the first tranche of One Million New Leones (NLe 1,000,000.00) to the Mayor of Freetown, Her Worship Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, on 9th July 2025, and the second tranche of One Million New Leones (NLe 1,000,000.00) to the Chief Administrator of the Council, Rahman Tom Farma, on 20th October 2025, culminating in the full restitution of the stolen funds together with accrued interest.
Presenting the final cheque, Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. described the recovery as another demonstration of the Commission's resolve to ensure that public resources lost through corruption are fully recovered and returned to their rightful owners. He emphasized that both local and central government institutions continue to benefit from the ACC's strong asset recovery regime, which remains a critical pillar of the Commission's anti-corruption mandate.
"Gone are the days when the corrupt would enjoy their loot. Today, we take it from them and add consequences. We turn previous loss into joy for the leaders," the Commissioner stated.
He noted that the Commission's work extends beyond investigations and prosecutions to securing meaningful restitution for public institutions affected by corruption. By recovering stolen assets and returning them to their rightful owners, the ACC continues to transform public losses into public gain while strengthening accountability across the public sector.
The successful recovery of the entire amount, including accrued interest, stands as yet another milestone in the Commission's relentless pursuit of accountability and its enduring commitment to ensuring that every Leone stolen through corruption is pursued, recovered, and returned for the benefit of the people of Sierra Leone.
