Freetown City Council (FCC) has pledged its full support to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as it investigates allegations of public fund misappropriation by Council staff.
At a media briefing today, FCC management confirmed that the probe follows the discovery in November 2024 that billboard revenue had not been deposited into the Councilโs bank accounts.
In response, the Council established an internal investigation committee, which was already making significant progress when the ACC launched its own inquiry.
The ACC is now leading the investigation with the full cooperation of FCC.
The Council credited its internal control measures โ implemented under the leadership of Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr โ for detecting the irregularities. The reforms were part of FCCโs ongoing efforts to strengthen revenue mobilization and collection.
FCC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency and accountability in managing public resources.
I wish to comment on the issue of billboards. It appears that so many institutions are responsible for the design, approval and installation of Bill boards. This overlap of responsibility is what is causing the problem. SLRA are the sole custodian of the roads and the right-of-way and therefore should be the agency coordinating Billboards activities. But we now have tourism, City Council and private companies doing billboardscand issuing out permits to use the right of way. The use of the right of way is a very sensitive matter and should be treated with the impkrtance it deserves, otherwise it will cost the country huge sums of money to acquire/reclaim in the future. The way forward is for the government to form a special unit with a CEO not politically appointed by Parliament to manage the right of way, and all it’s attendance problems, review all standards, and collect its revenue to be paid into a separate account for the maintenance of the roads.