By: Saidu Jalloh
On Wednesday, September 4, 2024, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), chaired by Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh, ordered Union Trust Bank’s Kenema Branch to pay Le 460 million into the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority’s (SLRSA) account. This directive follows a query raised in the Auditor General’s Report for 2022, which highlighted financial discrepancies between the account holder and the bank totaling Le 471 million.
The committee also held the Bank Manager of UTB Kenema Branch accountable for negligence and failure to conduct due diligence, ordering him to pay Le 11 million within two months. Additionally, the committee recommended the manager’s suspension, transfer, and demotion below the rank of Branch Manager.
In a related development, Deputy Speaker Conteh revealed that the Ministry of Finance has received requests from Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) totaling Le 198 billion for budgetary enhancements, subject to PAC approval. This marks a significant shift, as the Ministry of Finance would previously have processed such requests without parliamentary oversight. Budgetary enhancements refer to funds allocated outside the approved budget for the services of the Republic of Sierra Leone.
