In a decisive ruling, Sierra Leone’s Court of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of former Minister of Works and Public Assets, Alhaji Ibrahim Kemoh Sesay, thereby affirming the findings of the Commission of Inquiry (COI) led by Justice William Annan Atuguba.
The court has mandated the confiscation of properties deemed to have been acquired illicitly and has ordered Sesay to reimburse the state $135,000 within a stipulated period.
The COI, established in 2018 under Constitutional Instrument No. 64, was tasked with investigating the assets and activities of public officials who served between November 2007 and April 2018.
Justice Atuguba’s commission found that Sesay was involved in the unauthorized sale and fraudulent allocation of state-owned property located at Regent Road, Hill Station, Freetown. These actions were determined to constitute an abuse of executive power.
Following the release of the COI’s findings and the subsequent government white paper in September 2020, Sesay sought to challenge the conclusions through an appeal. However, the Court of Appeal, comprising Justices Ivan Sesay, Alhaji Momoh-Jah Stevens, and Adrian Fisher, unanimously upheld the original verdict. The court’s decision reinforces the government’s commitment to ensuring accountability and transparency within public service sectors.
In addition to the financial restitution, the court has imposed a penalty of Le300 million to cover the costs associated with the appeal. This ruling serves as a significant precedent in Sierra Leone’s ongoing efforts to combat corruption and uphold the rule of law.
