Le 1.6 bn missing at NRA
The finance department of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) is reportedly in hot water owing to the unwarranted withdrawals of Le 1.6 billion in accounts owned by the authority at the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank (SLCB).
The bank statement indicates that the sum of Le1.6 billion was withdrawn this year (2011) by persons attached to the finance office at NRA upon the instruction of the Acting Commissioner General Madam Haja Kallah Kamara.
In her pursuit to prove the legitimacy of monies withdrawn from the Commercial Bank (as shown in the submitted bank statement), the Deputy Finance Director NRA, Madam Sento Bangura, we are told, asked her boss (the Finance Director, Abdulai Conteh) to tender bank payment returns (BPR) for the Le 1.6 billion, but has got no response.
It must be noted that the Bank statement document was discovered by the Deputy Finance Director days after President Koroma’s issuing of a letter urging management of NRA institutes internal audit at respective departments.
It must be noted that Sierra Express Media lately published a story revealing how an amount to the tune of Le 1 billion or more was withdrawn in accounts owned by NRA at the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank.
The story furthered that the finance office at NRA has failed to show justifications or reasons for such a withdrawal.
Investigation gathered revealed that there is constant pressure on the head of finance to explain how the sum of Le 1.6 billion was withdrawn, what for, how it was spent, and who gave the orders.
As at press time, disclosures have it that the Deputy Finance Director, Madam Sento Bangura, has formerly written a letter to the head of Finance, compelling him to produce relevant documents including bank payment receipts for money withdrawn from Commercial Bank.
The proof chat of Sierra Express Media has received revelations that there is a serious misunderstanding between the Finance Director, Abdulai Conteh, and his Deputy, Madam Sento Bangura – which in essence – sprung from the surprised discovery of a doubtful commercial bank statement in drawers of the finance office at NRA.
It has reached this press also that the Acting Commissioner General NRA, Haja Kallah Kamara, of late, issued a memorandum instructing Sento Bangura bow out her position as Deputy Finance Director to work as principal collector – practical demotion.
That Sento Bangura challenged the memo on grounds clarifying who should or should not transfer senior management officials; the Acting Commissioner General or the NRA board.
It is disclosed also that the head of internal control and audit, Philip Koroma, is in hot waters with senior management officials including the head of finance, Abdulai Koroma, the Cooperate Secretary, Alimamy O. Kamara and Billal Kargbo.
Philip Koroma, it is disclosed, is determined to expose corrupt practices of NRA officials should nothing is said concerning the Le 1.6 billion withdrawn from NRA’s account in Commercial bank.
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