Freetown, Sierra Leone – November 13, 2024 – At the Government Weekly Press Briefing held in the Ministry of Energy Conference Room, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Joan Bull Kamara, Head of Legal and Justice Support Department and Financial Crimes Investigation for the Sierra Leone Police (SLP), emphasized the SLP’s commitment to investigating all alleged criminal activities across the country.
She highlighted financial crimes as a significant threat, asserting that the flow of illicit funds severely disadvantages Sierra Leone’s institutions and society.
ACP Bull Kamara outlined the SLP’s multi-faceted approach to combating financial crimes, including robust investigations and collaborative efforts with the Ministry of Justice to ensure that investigators are equipped with the necessary skills.
Money laundering, she explained, is frequently linked with other crimes, such as fraud or human trafficking, and involves tactics to disguise illegal funds as legitimate income. Kamara expressed the need to educate the public on how illicit money moves through the economy, and why tackling these practices is essential for the country’s stability.
She noted that Inspector General of Police William Fayia Sellu is prioritizing specialized training for SLP’s criminal investigators, focusing on enhancing expertise to meet international standards in financial crime investigation. Upcoming training sessions will target senior officers, aiming to build technical capacity across the board and improve investigative procedures to avoid complications in court.
ACP Kamara also disclosed the department’s current caseload, which includes over 15 cases involving companies like Qnet, My Coin, and Super Advertise, all under investigation for allegedly defrauding Sierra Leonean citizens with deceptive business claims. She stressed the importance of public cooperation in prosecuting these cases and warned that the SLP would maintain a zero-tolerance stance against individuals attempting to circumvent legal processes.
The briefing underscored that public vigilance and collaboration are crucial in confronting financial crimes and ensuring justice.
With successful convictions already secured in human trafficking cases, ACP Kamara affirmed that the SLP is determined to pursue all offenders rigorously, aiming to strengthen Sierra Leone’s legal and financial integrity.
