By mohamedj.bah@awokonewspaper.sl
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – In a strategic move to sharpen Sierra Leone’s anti-graft arsenal, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has launched an intensive two-day training program on asset tracing and recovery, equipping law enforcement officers with cutting-edge techniques to reclaim stolen wealth.
The specialized workshop, hosted at Integrity House from April 2-3 through a partnership with UK-based Restitution Impact, has assembled a formidable team of financial crime fighters from across Sierra Leone’s justice sector. Participants include investigators from the Sierra Leone Police (including Interpol, CID, and the Transnational Organized Crime Unit), prosecutors from the Law Officers’ Department, financial analysts from the Financial Intelligence Agency, and customs specialists from the National Revenue Authority.
ACC Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala opened the session by highlighting the transformative value of such in-country training initiatives. “These are exactly the caliber of programs our institutions need but often cannot fund through regular budgets,” Kaifala noted. “By bringing world-class trainers to Freetown, we’re democratizing access to expertise that would otherwise require costly international travel.”
The commissioner framed asset recovery as the new frontline in Sierra Leone’s anti-corruption war. “Court convictions alone don’t repair the damage – we must physically return what was stolen,” he asserted, urging participants to master the complex art of following money trails across borders.
Chris Duckett, Executive Director of Restitution Impact, revealed the training’s dual focus: “We’re merging legal strategies with investigative fieldwork – teaching how to sift through mountains of data to find the golden nuggets that lead to recoverable assets.” The UK expert stressed that successful recoveries require moving beyond information overload to actionable intelligence.
Washington-based attorney Tatiana Sainati delivered a stark warning about procedural precision: “One misstep in documentation or chain of evidence can collapse an entire recovery case. We’re drilling participants on bulletproof compliance standards that withstand international scrutiny.”
ACC Deputy Commissioner Augustine Foday Ngobie closed the opening session with a battle cry for continuous learning: “Consider every recovered asset as stolen food returned to a hungry child’s plate. That’s the gravity of the skills you’re acquiring here.”
The training forms part of Restitution Impact’s ongoing commitment to strengthen Sierra Leone’s anti-corruption architecture. With new techniques in forensic accounting, international asset freezing, and multi-jurisdictional litigation, participants are expected to significantly boost the nation’s capacity to repatriate illicit wealth – turning recovered funds into tangible development resources.
As Sierra Leone intensifies its war on graft, this knowledge transfer represents more than just training – it’s an investment in making corruption an increasingly risky and unprofitable enterprise in the country. The real test will come when these new skills are deployed in high-stakes recovery operations in the months ahead. MJB/3/4/2025
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