Parliament orders Kono District Council to refund Le21 M
Freetown, June 16 (SLENA) – As part of their, members of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament last Wednesday ordered the Kono District Council to pay the sum of twenty-one million leones (Le 21 M) to Government following audit queries for the fiscal year 2012.
The Chief Administrator or (CA) and the Finance Officer (FO) of the said council promised the Committee that the outstanding payment for the said amount would be paid into the consolidated fund.
Withholding taxes to the tune of One Million Five Hundred Thousand Leones was paid to the NRA as ordered by the Committee in less than two hours and the original of receipt was shown to the Committee and Audit for inspection and approval.
In his remarks, the Deputy Speaker who doubles as Chairman of the Committee, Hon. Chernor Bah blamed officials of the council of not being in possession of the relevant documents to answer to audit queries and warned that failing to say the truth under oath amounted to perjury.
Other queries related to ineffective internal audit department and failure to refund unclaimed school fee subsidies to the consolidated fund. However, the CA for Koidu District Council, Mr. Mohamed O. Marah assured the Committee that the audited queries raised in the 2012 report would be addressed soonest to prevent it re-occurrence in the next audit.
In another development, the Koidu New Sembehun City Council was also before PAC to answer to queries raised in the 2012 audit report.
The audit queries range from inadequate control over the collection, recording, banking, reporting and poor presentation of financial records.
Responding, Council’s Chief Administrator, Alhaji Alhaji, noted when taking over office there were issues of misfiling of records, but confidently informed the Committee that these issues have been addressed subject to verification.
By Sulaiman Bah
Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2014, https:. All rights reserved.
