The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Sierra Leone has secured a conviction against Dr. Sarah Finda Bendu, former Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), and Victor Labor, former Procurement Manager, on multiple counts of corruption offences.
According to the ACC’s Public Relations Unit, Dr. Bendu was convicted on eight counts, while Labor was convicted on six counts, including misappropriation of public funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, and failure to comply with applicable procedures and guidelines relating to tendering and management of public funds.
The High Court of Sierra Leone, presided over by Honourable Justice Cosmotina Jarrett, sentenced Dr. Bendu to a total fine of 240 million old Leones, with a restitution order to pay back 697,245,506 old Leones to the government within six months. Labor was sentenced to a total fine of 180 million old Leones, with a similar restitution order.
“The gravity of the offences cannot be overstated,” Justice Jarrett said in her verdict, noting that Dr. Bendu had authorized multiple disbursements without due diligence and allowed payments to be processed on forged and irregular documents, while Labor had facilitated the documentation and approvals for payments he knew or ought to have known were unsupported by proper procedures.
Abubakarr Turay, Director of Public Education and Outreach Department at the ACC, said the commission is committed to protecting public funds and resources. “The ACC wishes to reassure the general public of its relentless commitment to protect public funds and other State resources,” he said.
The ACC had indicted Dr. Bendu, Labor, and Kepiatu Alghali in September 2019 on various counts of corruption charges related to a scheme that led to the misappropriation of public funds at SLRSA. Alghali pleaded guilty, while Dr. Bendu and Labor pleaded not guilty.
The conviction is seen as a significant step in the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone, demonstrating the government’s commitment to holding public officials accountable for their actions.
