By KEMO CHAM

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Sierra Leonean authorities have slapped travel restriction on all former government officials, requiring them to seek clearance before leaving the country.

The Inspector General of Police (IGP) has ordered all the border points, not to allow any former official to leave without approval from the Justice ministry.

“No former government functionary, including former ministers, deputies, heads of departments and agencies, should be allowed to travel out of the country either by land, sea or air without the authorisation of the Attorney- General and Minister of Justice,” a statement from the office of the IGP said.

The move is in connection to a recent report which alleges massive corruption under the regime of former President Ernest Bai Koroma.

The 124-page report alleges awarding of fake and inflated contracts to political cronies and the sale of government properties at under prized values.

Commission of enquiry

The report’s authors recommend the formation of a commission of enquiry and possible prosecution of those found culpable.

Dozens of officials, including former President Koroma, were listed in the report for involvement in one or more suspected corruption cases.

The police have a crucial role in ensuring that all those implicated answer to the law, the IGP’s statement said.
It notes that a list of the names has been distributed to all police unit commanders and heads of departments at all border points.

It ordered all affected people to surrender all their travel documents, including foreign passports, if they have dual nationality, to the head of the police Criminal Investigations Department with immediate effect.

Those who fail to comply face arrest and detention, the police say.

Were later released

Many of those named in the report, including former President Koroma, are currently out of the country. Some of them, including former Attorney-General and Justice minister Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, have issued statements condemning the report and denying all allegations levied against them

The police’s announcement comes as the head of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) declared a war on graft.

The Commission on Thursday charged a former vice-president and an ex-cabinet minister under the Koroma administration on four counts of misappropriation of public fund.

Former Vice-President Victor Bockarie Foh and former Mines and Mineral Resources minister Minkailu Mansaray were later released on $200,000 bail. They are due to appear in court later in the month.

But ACC has warned that a planned review of the case relating to the misuse of funds meant for the arrangement of pilgrimage to Mecca could see more charges proffered on the accused and more people indicted.