By eric.george@awokonewspaper.sl
Freetown, SIERRA LEONE – In a bold and ambitious move, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), has committed to presenting SLE 100 billion to President Julius Maada Bio by the end of the committee’s work this year. The funds, which are being recovered from individuals and entities who defrauded the government, are expected to make a significant contribution to the nation’s finances.
“I want to present SLE 100 billion to the president by the time we are done with the PAC hearings,” Hon. Conteh pledged. During a PAC hearing on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, Hon. Conteh revealed that the committee has already recovered SLE 50 billion since its inception in June 2024.
“We have already collected SLE 50 billion at PAC since we began in June this year,” he disclosed.
Hon. Conteh emphasized the committee’s unwavering commitment to recovering all funds owed to the government, as highlighted in the Auditor General’s report for 2021/22.
“We will stop at nothing until we retrieve all our monies from everyone owing us,” the chairman asserted.
He also urged all ministries, departments, agencies (MDAs), and private entities to ensure that their documentation is complete and accurate before appearing before the committee. Hon. Conteh made it clear that the PAC’s primary focus is not on reviewing documents but on collecting the funds owed and returning them to the Consolidated Fund.
“We are not interested in documents; all we want is to collect monies and send them to the Consolidated Fund,” he reiterated.
Hon. Conteh took the opportunity to highlight the selfless and dedicated work of the committee members, noting that unlike other agencies such as the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), which retains a percentage of recovered funds, the PAC does not keep any portion of the monies collected. Despite this, the committee remains steadfast in its commitment to serving the nation.
“Despite not having any benefits apart from our salaries, this PAC remains devoted to our patriotic duty, which is to collect all monies and send them to the national budget,” Hon. Conteh asserted.
He further emphasized that “This PAC is different from others because we are only interested in collecting the state’s money, without compromise or favour,” he concluded. SEG/26/8/2024
