Sequel to Seized Vehicle… ACC May Probe Customs

Reliable but unconfirmed sources at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) have intimated that the Commission is to investigate officials of the Customs Department of the National Revenue Authority for the vehicle that was recently impounded with smuggled goods.

The source further disclosed that the ACC has been monitoring and investigating the incident to press charges against the suspects.

The vehicle with two different Guinean registration numbers RC 7044 G and RC 5536 owned by one Alhaji Piltu had onboard 600 bales of used clothing and 300 jerry cans of groundnut oil was recently seized for only declaring half of its content to customs officials at the Guinea/Sierra Leone border.

The vehicle was verified by Bregas Awoonor-Williams and his boss, Malcolm S. Wilkinson, the two officials alleged to have received a bribe of Le5,000,000 to undervalue the goods thus undermining government’s revenue maximization drive.

The sources add that the 400 bales and 300 jerry cans of groundnut oil were not declared and paid for by the owner of the items.

While the vehicle was impounded and the m3atter being investigated, other officials at Customs, Cline Town in Freetown were bribed for the vehicle to be released citing a similar incidence in the same Customs Post eight months ago for which the culprits were tried for five months, found guilty and suspended for one month without salary.

Santus Kamara of Customs, alleged to be one of the kingpins in the scandal, denied the allegations levied against him asserting that his credibility built over the years is untainted and underscored that he would not compromise his integrity for pittance.

Malcolm Wilkinson also denied the allegations clarifying that he did the right thing.

By A. R. Bedor

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