2024

ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION OF SIERRA LEONE

An independent institution established for the prevention, investigation, prosecution and punishment of corruption, corrupt practices and to provide for other related matters. 

Contact us on: +23278832131 or info@anticorruption.gov.sl
Address:  Integrity House, Tower Hill, Freetown Sierra Leone, West Africa.

JULY 2023 NEWSLETTER

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11. Page 11 Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. taking His Excellency the President Brigadier Dr. Julius Maada Bio on a tour of the Integrity House His Excellency the President Brigadier Rtd. Dr. Julius Maada Bio, Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq., Deputy Augustine Foday Ngobie, and Chief Justice Desmond Babatunde Edwards enjoying the views from the Integrity House Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. taking His Excellency the President Brigadier (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio on a tour of the Integrity House Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. taking His Excellency the President Brigadier (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio on a tour of the Integrity House Cross section of guests at the Commissioning ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. and his deputy Au- gustine Foday Ngobie Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. and Deputy Commissioner, Augustine Foday Ngobie with cross section of ACC Staff. ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. and guests after the event.

12. Published by the Anti - Corruption Commission Headquarters: Integrity House, Tower Hill, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa Website: http//www@anticorruption.gov.sl Bo Office Address: 10 Bo Pujehun Drive, Kebbie Town Email: info@anticorruption.gov.sl Makeni Office Address: Mena Hill Reservation, Makeni Kenema Office Address: Reservation Road, Off Maxwell Khobe Street, Kenema Kono Office: 18 Sannsie Street, Off Kainkordu Road, Koidu Port Loko : 27 Sheriffa Street, Port Loko Hotline Nos: 077 - 985985 , 077 986 986 , 515 (All Networks)

10. Page 10 ( L - R) : Chief Justice Babatunde Edwards, Chairperson of the event and Commissioner of the National Commission for Social Action ( NaCSA), Sao - Kpato Hannah Isatta Max - Kyne, His Excellency the President Brigadier (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio, ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala, Attorney General and Minister of Justice Mohamed Lamin Tarawally and ACC Deputy Commissioner Augustine Foday Ngobie . Executive Director of the Centre for Accountability and the Rule of La w (CARL) Ibrahim Tommy making a statement on behalf of civil society organisations . President Brigadier (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio reading the inscription on the plaque after unveiling it The Honourable Chief Justice of the Judiciary of Sierra Leone Justice Desmond Babatunde Edward Deputy Commissioner, Augustine Foday Ngobie giving the welcome address ‘ Coordinator of Operations Emmanuel Koivaya Amara Esq. called the programme to order Chairperson of the event, Sao - Kpato Hannah Isata Max - Kyne, who is also Commissioner of the National Commission for Social Action ( NaCSA) Director of Intelligence and Investigations Evelyn Kuyateh giving the vote of thanks ( COMMISSIONING OF INTEGRITY HOUSE)

5. Page 5 The Commissioner of the Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Integrity Vice President of the World Bank Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for joint collaboration. The MoU was signed by the ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. and the World Bank Group’s Integrity Vice President Mouhamadou Diagne on 15th June, 2023, following the Bank’s International Corruption Hunters Alliance summit held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire on the theme “Collective Action in an Era of Crises”. The MoU provides a broad framework for cooperation between the World Bank and the Anti - corruption Commission of Sierra Leone and assures mutual support in the respective responsibilities of the parties. The World Bank Group works with countries across the World to end poverty and boost prosperity for the poorest. The institution also helps in creating sustainable economic growth, investing in people and building resilience in people to shocks and threats that can roll back decades progress. The ACC on its part, leads the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone through public education, prevention, investigation and prosecution of individuals suspected of committing acts of corruption. It could be recalled that, the Commission is also currently involved in the monitoring of World Bank - supported Social Safety Net (SSN) program meant for extremely poor Sierra Leoneans in the most deprived communities of the country, spearheading the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) component of the project. It had also provided monitoring and sensitization support to the control of Covid - 19 pandemic in Sierra Leone through the Integrated Health Projects Administration Unit (IHPAU) with funds from the World Bank. ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. (R) and the World Bank Group’s Integrity Vice President Mouhamadou Diagne (L) signing the MoU ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. (R) and the World Bank Group’s Integrity Vice President Mouhamadou Diagne (L) in a warm handshake after the signing.

6. Page 6 A t eam from the Anti - Corruption Commission Sierra Leone (ACC - SL) - headed by the Deputy Commissioner, Au- gustine Foday Ngobie, and comprising the Director of Finance, Sheku Kanu, Coordinator of the Grievance Redress Mechanism component of the Social Safety Net (SSN), Patrick Morovia, and a host of other staff–have ben- efited from a week - long training in Kampala, Uganda on Effective Project Management and Evaluation facilitated by the Uganda Technology and Management University (UTAMU). The training package, which is supported by the World Bank and Government of Sierra Leone, aimed at equipping the ACC and the participants selected including, those from the National Commission for Social Action and National Youth Commission, with the right knowledge, skills and aptitude needed for the effective and quality implementation of projects and programs. The thematic areas of the training are; Project Planning, Lifecycle and Management, Project Leadership, Decision Making, Programming, Asset Management, Conflict and Risk Management in Projects, Monitoring and Evaluation, Paradigms, Theories, Concepts and Principles, Designing, Conducting and Managing Evaluations, Result Oriented M&E, Data Collection, Analysis and Practical Perspectives in M&E, Project Legal and Ethical Issues and Consultancy Skills, Development and Practice. The training was held simultaneously with a week - long study tour attended by the Director of the National Anti - Corruption Strategy (NACS), Nabillahi - Musa Kamara Esq. and other staff of the Commission in Nairobi, Kenya. It was a tour of successfully implemented Social Safety Net (SSN) projects in Kenya. These capacity building programs for staff of the Commission are part of preparation for the implementation of the Productive Social Safety Net and Youth Empowerment (PSSNYE) in Sierra Leone, after the successful implementation of the SSN project. It could be recalled that, the ACC, under the leadership of Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. and Augustine Foday Ngobie, has prioritized requisite capacity building for its personnel in a bid to have continued positive results on productivity, including the implementation of donor funded projects. Working with partners like the World Bank, the ACC has continued to positively impact social development projects and programs like the SSN. Participants of the training in Uganda led by Deputy Commissioner Augustine Foday Ngobie (4 th from right)

1. Issue 18 Volume 41 July, 2023 Contd on pg 9 President Brig.(Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio delivering his Address T he President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, Brig. (R td.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio has on Monday, 5th June, 2023, commissioned the Anti - Corruption Commission’s (ACC) ultra - modern headquarters building named ‘Integrity House’. This monumental edifice sits at the top of Tower Hill in Freetown, flanked by the House of Parliament and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Delivering his address at the event, the President profoundly commended the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and staff of the ACC, describing them as great warriors in the fight against graft. He described cor- ruption as an “existential threat” to the image, integrity and wholesomeness of the State that weigh its huge cost on not only public service delivery and public trust, but also national cohesion. "And as you all know, these are critical components for nation building and development," the President said. The President emphasized the need for public officers to eschew the flagrant abuse of public offices, and also the compelling need to sanitize the private sector from corruption. "The fight against Corruption is a fight we must fight, and a fight we must win," the President said whilst noting the unimaginable gains the country has made in the fight in the last five years. These gains, he said, started with the amendment of the Anti - Corruption Act 2008 in 2019, which significantly strengthened the Commission, the establishment of the Special Anti - Corruption Division within the High Court of Sierra Leone that has seen the expeditious trial of anti - corruption matters and an impressive high conviction rate. The President also noted that over 45 Billion (Old) Leones had been recovered and returned to the State during this period. The President also said that the Commission has done extensive systems and processes reviews in over 14 public institutions, and has unprecedentedly heightened its public education campaigns to combat graft. He said the image of Sierra Leone has been laundered with its impressive scores in every global and local assessment and index, including the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Scorecard, Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (TI - CPI), Afro Barometer, among others. Cutting of the Ribbon signaling formal opening of the Building: President Brigadier (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio (M), ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala (R) and ACC Deputy Commissioner, Augustine Foday Ngobie (L)

3. A s a country that previously rocked bottom in many local and int ernational indexes, such as the Transparency International Corruption Perception Survey Index in 2013, Sierra Leone has come a long way in its efforts to change such sickening narratives. Within a few years, the country was able to move from those unenviable positions to be placed as a model for its efforts in the fight against corruption. In the last five years (2018 - present), Sierra Leone’s exponential rise and revolutionary methods in fighting corruption started off with the strong pronouncement made by His Excellency, President Brigadier (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio in his inaugural address, when he declared “war on corruption”. Next for the Pres- ident was for him to appoint the energetic young man Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. to lead this war. After his approval by Parliament, Commissioner Kaifala started work on June 28, 2018, at his small office at 3 Gloucester Street in Freetown. The office environment was challenging for him and his staff, but it was from there he led his staff to the monumental achievements that the Commission and the country are known for today. Whilst he was making all those gains, he also had his eyes set at making sure that the Commission could have its own headquarters building which befits its status as an anti - graft institution. With the support of the Government, through the Ministry of Finance, the Francis Ben Kaifala administration was able to complete the Commission’s own ultra - modern Headquarters building at Tower Hill in under five years. On the 5 th of June, 2023, a monumental edifice to symbolize the collective and unyielding resolve in the fight against corruption was commissioned by His Excellency the President. Like the many other gains made in the last few years, chiefly; the 2019 Amendment to the Anti - corruption Act 2008, the establishment of the Special Anti - Corruption Division of the High Court of Sierra Leone, the robust public education, prevention and investigation drives, the Commission has set the pathway for continued excel- lence. C orruption is indeed a plague that has forestalled progress and affected the various fabric of the country’s development. The ultra - modern building is an enormous project that will better project the country to its many admirers that often come to learn lessons from their anti - graft efforts. In 2022, for example, Guinea and Gambia visited Sierra Le- one, in addition to other countries like Liberia, Uganda, among others, that had previously come to learn from our ant - graft model. With a lot of admiration out there, there is a corresponding expectation that the building which houses the Commission should befit its status and image. The Integrity House is a perfect fit to further help project the image of the ACC. Moreover, a home is often described as a haven that gives strength and comfort to its people. The spacious and comfortable office environment provided by this ultra - modern edifice provides all of these, as well as motivation for staff to continue to be more productive, innovative and exceptional in their work to rid the country of the scourge of corruption. Also, a home, they say, is a reflection of its people. It reflects their attitudes, character and aspirations. With the path carved by the ACC with respect to its huge gains made in the last five years, the Integrity House further serves to reflect more importantly the aspirations of the Commission. The Honorable Chief Justice, Desmond Babatunde Edwards similarly highlighted this during the commissioning of the building - that it “speaks volumes of Sierra Leone's commitment to fighting corruption which has been a menace to the country's development efforts.” The Integrity House is a milestone that exemplifies the unprecedented gains made under a competent and visionary leadership. It is also a demonstration of a strong Presidential and Political Will. It equally shows the very strong commitment of the Nation of Sierra Leone to provide the ACC with the armoury needed to eliminate corruption in all facets of society. Page 3 By: Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Assistant, ACC ‘Integrity House’ - ACC’s new Headquarters Building.

9. Page 9 Making his statement, the ACC Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. thanked the President for providing him the amplitude and support, wherewithal for his work as the Head of the ACC. He equally noted emphatically that such support is what has informed Sierra Leone's impressive standings in every local index and assessment. "In the MCC Scorecard, before I was appointed by the President, we were failing at 49%, but down the years we have scored as high as 83%," the Commissioner revealed. Mr. Kaifala further said that Sierra Leone was in 2013 ranked the most corrupt country in the world by Transparency International, but was now for the last five years trailblazing as one of the high performers in Africa, something that has attracted the attention and admiration of other countries that often come to learn from Sierra Leo- ne. The Commissioner went further to describe the Integrity House as a symbol of the commitment of the President in the fight against corruption. He said although the Commission has done amazing work in its previously small rented apartment, there was always the compelling need for the Commission to have the proper working environment. The Honourable Chief Justice of the Republic of Sierra Le- one, Desmond Babatunde Edwards in his statement co m- mended the Government of Sierra Leone for putting up the edifice on its own and not from any donor, adding that the money was indeed judiciously spent. "Today l celebrate the fact that we can converge and commission an edifice of this nature, which speaks volumes of Sierra Leone's commitment to fighting corruption, which has been a menace to the country's development efforts," the Chief Justice said. Executive Director of the Center for Accountability and the Rule of Law (CARL), Ibrahim Tommy, spoke on Contd from Pg.1 behalf of civil society organisations, noting that Sierra Leo- ne has experienced an impressive progress in the last five years with its current leadership. He said that there has been an increased recovery of stolen funds, more progres- sive anti - corruption legal framework, and an improvement in the success rate of cases sent to court. He expressed hope that the building will inspire the leadership and staff of the ACC, and also the people of Sierra Leone to continue to fight against corruption. "I urge the Government on this occasion to continue its funding and support to the ACC and allow it to operate independently and effectively as it has done in the last five years,” Mr. Tommy noted. The Chairperson of the event, Sao - Kpato Hannah Isata Max - Kyne, who is also Commissioner of the National Commission for Social Action ( NaCSA), earlier in her opening remarks, said that the ‘Integrity House’ represents the Government's firm and permanent commitment to the fight against corruption. She said that her institution has had a fruitful partnership with the ACC in the implementation of the Social Safety Net (SSN) poverty alleviation project, and realized great improvement in terms of delivery and accountability. Earlier, Deputy Commissioner of ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie, in his welcome statement, outlined the many successes the Commission has scored in the last five years, and acknowledged the President for his outstanding support, which has resulted in the completion of the ‘Integrity House’. He further thanked all the staff of ACC for their support and also the contractor for the significant changes they did to the initial plan of the building. Director of Investigations and Intelligence at the ACC, Evelyn Kuyateh delivered the vote of thanks, and the event was climaxed by the cutting of the ribbon, unveiling of the plaque and tour of the offices by His Excellency the President. Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. making his statement at the commissioning A cross section of dignitaries at the Opening

7. Page 7 I n tandem with the determination of the Anti - C orruption Commission (ACC) to equip its employees with the skills required to combat corruption, three staff of the Commission together with their counterparts from other African countries have benefited from a training on ‘Modern Anti - Corruption Techniques in Preventing and Combating Corruption’. The training was organized by the Egyptian National Ant i - Corruption Academy of the Administrative Control Authority (ACA), Egypt’s lead anti - corruption agency. The training ran from Monday 29 th May to Wednesday 31 st May 2023 at the Academy in Cairo, Egypt. The three ACC staff that benefited from the training are the Commission’s Director of Internal Audit Victor Peacock, Deputy Director of Assets Declaration Edita Fofana and Senior Public Education Officer Abdulai Saccoh. In his statement, the Deputy Director, ACA, Major General Abdul Rahman, acknowledged the efforts and commitment of member states of the African Union towards combating all forms of corruption. He highlighted the importance of collaboration among member states in tackling corruption, which has the potential to transcend beyond borders. He recognized that corruption is one of the defining challenges of today’s world because it can germinate seed of discord, nurture unpatriotism, subvert national cohesion, wreck economy and undermine infrastructural projects. The Deputy Director reflected on some of the cross - c utting issues which tend to serve as an obstacle to the campaign against corruption in Africa and other parts of the world. He said that technology is one of the prevention tools used in Egypt to reduce direct human contacts between the client and service providers. He affirmed Egypt’s commitment to open education doors of opportunities, and continue to work with all states and non - state parties in order to strengthen partnership in combating corruption. Director of International Cooperation Sector, ACA, Dr. Khaled Said , said they decided to share their expertise with staff of other anti - graft outfits in Africa because they share common values and vision. He spoke on corruption risk management and evaluation and the contents of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and its review mechanism. Dr. Said recognized the relevance of the UNCAC review process and how international instruments have helped to counter corruption and other crimes across the world. He dilated on a number of instruments which have enhanced the global campaign against corruption including the UNCAC, the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC), the Arab Anti - Corruption Convention, the African Union Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption and the Arab Network for Promotion of Integrity, Transparency and Combating Corruption. The ACC team also did a presentation on the third generatio n of Sierra Leone’s National Anti - Corruption Strategy. The training was climaxed with a question and answer s ession. Participants at the training session

8. Page 8 He was Human Rights Scholar at the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Centre for Human Rights and Justice in the US. He is an Obama Africa Leader 2019, and Arch - Bishop Desmond Tutu Fellow 2022. He was honored by the Department of State of the United States of America as one of 12 Global “International Anti - Corruption Champions” in 2021. He was also named one of "100 Most Influential People of African Descent 2021" by the UN/MIPAD Initiative. Moreover, he was awarded Alumnus of the Year by the Center for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom. He is also a Commissioner of Oath of the Republic of Sierra Leone. Contd from Pg. 2 Lands whose children have come to pore your hand to write their own stories. Indeed, your gallantry against the furtive hand will make the Lion roar again, louder. Let the Young David and his army still fan the flames of war on Goliaths; Many a bloodless battle have you won with a gavel and a wig; As you sit on Tower Hill, Let your light, light more tunnels of the corrupt, O, beacon of hope! W hat other name could there be, O House of Integrity? W hat treasure could be more precious, Fountain of Hope? Has ever a building stood without a foundation of your spirit? You are the fulcrum of no greedy creed or town or school! To your graceful sight and height, the lofty Burj Khalifa is a dwarf; The sparkling gems in the bowels of Kono Land, and the nuggets of Kunike Land grow dim in your infectious brilliance. Nothing, truly not one, in being brings forth its fruit without you. You are the herald of hope to the courageous lions of the Lion, Whose name sits on the tuneful tongues of children of distant Lands; BY AIAH P.M SOURIE W hen the war on corruption is won T he rivers will teem with fish; the trees birth fruity foliage, and the brown pastures become green, greener. When the war on corruption is won our striped badge will dance in the air, her radiance and warmth call planters of funds to grow lush farms of wealth; The hot exodus across the fiery sand will turn its desperate head homeward, And those who have survived its temper and crossed the restless sea to kiss alien dust will come home, their woe all be gone.. When the war on corruption is won the kid plays in the moonlit evening will be vivacious, and victory tales of the war told by firesides, on couches; Our hearts will be filled with peace and love, the elephants in the room will thaw like ice in the sun; in their place will be matters all can freely discuss. New bonds will be born – yes, new bonds: South North Love, North East Love, South North East West LOVE! North South Love, East North Love, West East North South Love! When the war on corruption is won, When all is settled and dusted, our Riches will multiply like sardines in the wild seas. Even the skeptic and the erstwhile corrupt will gladly sing: ‘We never thought we would win the war; the death of corruption is indeed the birth of prosperity.’ BY AIAH P.M SOURIE

2. \ Page 2 T he President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Ex cellency Brig. (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has re - appointed Francis Ben Kaifala to serve another five - year term as Commissioner of the Anti - Corruption Commission Sierra Leone (ACC - SL), pursuant to Section 4(1) of the Anti - Corruption Act, 2008 as amended in 2019. The renewal of tenure of the Commissioner was communicated by a letter of re - appointment dated 19th June, 2023 and took effect on 29th June, 2023, following the expiration of the first term on the 28th June, 2023. The First five year - tenure of Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala has seen Sierra Leone make remarkable gains in the fight against corruption and recorded unprecedented progress in local and international corruption perception indexes and surveys including; the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Scorecard, the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, the Afro - Barometer Report, the Public Financial Management (PFM) Consortium National Corruption Perception Survey Report, etc. In the past five years, Sierra Leone has been consistently exceptional in its score in the ‘Control of Corruption’ Indicator in the Millennium Challenge Corporation Scorecard, moving from 49 percent in 2017 , to 83 percent and 79 percent in 2021 and 2022 respectively . Similar exponential jumps have been recorded in other reputable global corruption measurement institutions like Afrobarometer which confirmed that corruption prevalence has considerably reduced from 70% in 2015 to 40% in 2020, and a huge reduction in corruption prevalence in key public sector institutions and increased trust in the ACC from 43% in 2020 to 53% in 2022. In the same vein, during the leadership of Francis Ben Kaifala, the ACC and Sierra Leone received many local and international accolades, laurels, awards and recognitions for efforts in the fight against corruption. In addition, the ACC made record convictions; recovered over Forty Five (45) Billion (Old) Leones cash, vehicles, houses, and other immovables; and the period witnessed the construction and movement of the Commission into the Integrity House at Tower Hill; which now serves as the Commission’s new Headquarters Building in Freetown. The ACC, in the last five years, embarked on a massive public education campaign on corruption issues across the country, as well as conducted systems and processes reviews of public offices, especially revenue generating institutions. The Commission also made corruption unfashionable by investigating and prosecuting persons suspected of committing acts of corruption, including those holding very high positions in Government. Reacting to the re - appointment, the ACC Commissioner thanked President Bio for his unequivocal re - appointment and similarly congratulated him on his recent re - election as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone for a second term. The Commissioner also thanked the Deputy Commissioner, the Board, Management and staff of the Commission; as well as the People of Sierra Leone for their continued belief and support. Francis Ben Kaifala is the immediate past President of the Network of Anti - Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) and an elected Board Member of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC). He lectures part - time, Commercial Law, at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. Francis Ben Kaifala is a result oriented leader. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) degree with Honours from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone and was called to the Sierra Leone Bar in 2007 having passed the Sierra Le- one Law School’s Bar Examinations as the ‘Star Pupil’. Francis holds the LL.M in International Financial Law and Economics from Queen Mary University of London. He is also alumnus of the prestigious Fulbright Program and graduated with the LL.M in Comparative Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and International Human Rights at the University of Texas at Austin. Contd on Pg 8 ACC Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq.

4. Page 4 L ike most academics, I followed Sierra Leone’s elec tions closely. I paid attention to the two leading political parties' campaign rallies, communication strategies, and cultural slogans. For the present democratic dispensation – the Sierra Leone Peoples Par- ty – I attended a few of their gatherings in the capital city. On every podium, President Bio consistently based his Government's accomplishments on three major policy areas: human capital development, regaining international respect, and the progress made in the war on corruption. The former military brigadier made a case for his re - election bid by highlighting pointers, including these three. In scenarios where the President went on banter rant against his rivals, I observed that he was hyped mainly by an entourage around the stage area. This entourage was dominated by people from the President’s diplomatic, communications, and educational infrastructure. Their work was synonymous with what the President was using as pointers. The one visible absentee was the young, dynamic leader of the Anti - Corruption Commission, Francis Ben Kaifala. Barrister Francis Ben Kaifala showed tremendous professionalism and integrity during the election period. I realized the Anti - Corruption Commissioner distanced himself from the political platforms of the President. Before the voting day, the last public interaction between the two gentlemen was at the opening ceremony of the Integrity House. The cameras that graced the program captured the precious moments of mutual respect. At the ritual of the Integrity House, I read the statement made by the charismatic lawyer and human rights activist; I was surprised he spoke public policy instead of politics. He could have simply used that period to endorse the President who allowed him to serve Sierra Leone. Furthermore, the Anti - Corruption Commissioner has some of the largest social media following in Sierra Leo- ne. He had the platform to rally his followers and make an endorsement. Instead, he took the high road. He injected English humor into some of his posts on the voting. But there was nothing politically explicit about them. Within the social media groups of the anti - graft agency, Barrister Kaifala discouraged his staff from sharing sensitive political content. Over the years, I have seen key figures of the Anti - Corruption Commission publicly endorse and rally behind politicians. This undermined the credibility of the Commission during those days. The personality of this Commissioner was felt throughout the veins of the Commission. The records are there to back this claim: the increase in staff numbers, the global indexes, the recoveries, the policy engagements, the public engagements, the international exposure trips, the indictments, and of late, the newly constructed Integrity House. These are indicators of success. I want to pause, pray and congratulate Francis Ben Kaifala for his re - appointment as Commissioner of the An- ti - Corruption Commission of Sierra Leone. I am confident he will build on the gains from his first term. The last video I saw of him was when he went to congratulate President Bio on his re - election win at President’s Lodge. His conduct during this period might be the blueprint for public servants in positions that warrant some demonstration of political neutrality. EDITOR - IN - CHIEF Abubakarr Turay EDITORS Sylvanus Blake Alex A. Bah LAYOUT & GRAPHICS Philippa M Davies EDITORIAL ADVISERS Augustine Foday Ngobie Patrick Sandi

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