1. ANTI - CORRUPTION COMMISSION CATHEDRAL HOUSE 3 GLOUCESTER STREET FREETOWN SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA TEL: 232 - 22 221468 FAX: 232 - 22 221900 Date: 10 th April 2014 PRESS RELEASE HIGH COURT HANDS DOWN CUSTODIAL SENTENCES ON NRA/ECO BANK OFFICIAL S FOR CORRUPTION OFFENCES The High Court of Sierra Leone , presided over by the HONORABLE MR. JUSTICE M.A. PAUL, on 10 th April 2014, pronounced sentence in the matter of the STATE VS SOLOMON HINDOLO KATTA and OTHERS ; having found them guilty in a judgment delivered on 3 rd April 2014. In a landmark decision, THE HONORABLE JUSTICE PAUL imposed custodial sentences on all the convicts, in addition to monetary fines, totaling Two Billion, Five Hundred and Fifty M illions (2, 550, 000, 000 ). All five were convicted for offences including Conspiracy to Commit a Corruption Offence, Misappropriation of Public Revenue, Possession of Unexplained Wealth and Failure to Fully Declare Asset s to the Commission , all contrary to the Anti - Corruption Act 2008. The first accused Solomon Hindolo Katta was sentenced to six years imprisonment and to pay Two Billion Two H undred Million Leones ( 2. 200, 000, 000) ; Idrissa Fornah (alias O r kala ) was sentenced to six years imprisonment and T wo Hundred Million Leones (200,000, 000); Momoh Turay was sentenced to three years imprisonment and to pay Forty Million Leones (40,000, 000); Emmanuel Sesay was sentenced to three years imprisonment and to p ay Forty Million Leones (40,000, 000); and Mrs. Catherine Katta was sentenced to three years imprisonment and to pay Seventy M illion Leones (70,000, 000). It is worth noting that since the enactment of the Anti - Corruption Act of 2008, this is t he first time the Commission has secured convictions for the offences of Failure to Fully Declare Assets to ACC and Possession of Unexplained Wealth . The matter was prosecuted by Mr. Ady Macauley , Esq. of the Commission . M eanwhile, the other trial involving NRA/Ecobank workers, Abraham Lavally and Others is still ongoing in the High Court. .......................................... KOL ONEH SANKOH (Ms) DEPUTY DIRECTOR, PUBLIC EDCUCATION AND OUTREACH