No Longer Toothless

Those critics who were mockingly describing the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) as a toothless bulldog that barks without biting have been put to shame by Ugandan-born Justice J. B. Katutsi who has convicted and incarcerated two corrupt officials of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development, Mustapha Amara and Joseph Tewuleh for dishonestly appropriating donor funds.

Justice Katutsi has made history as this is the first time the ACC is handing down a compulsory custodian sentence on persons convicted under the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008. So, we are now convinced that the toothless bulldog has grown teeth and can now bite the corrupt people trying to wreck this nation via their fraudulent activities.

We are obligated to commend President Koroma for developing the teeth of the ACC by giving the commission prosecutorial powers to make its existence more meaningful. When the commission was without prosecutorial powers, it was indeed a toothless bulldog as was ridiculed by cynics.

However, we only hope that the ACC has not grown teeth to bite only those opposing the system, but must be seen to be biting even those supporting the system when occasion demands, otherwise, the commission will be having a rotten teeth in a stinking mouth.

We cannot avoid lauding the commission for setting the precedent to deter others who may want to indulge in corrupt practices. We highly appreciate the bold step commission has taken to combat corruption which we believe is Sierra Leone’s worst problem. Corruption has dragged this once prosperous nation to the perigee of the UN index; so, there is every need for us to fight it to the last atom of our energy if we are to develop. Even the success of our Agenda for Prosperity heavily depends on our ability to drastically minimize corruption; otherwise, our prosperity will be in jeopardy.

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