Police Inspector in Le 20 Million Scandal

The issue of corruption has again raised its ugly head in the Sierra Leone Police with a senior officer involved in a scandal wherein he is said to haveÂ Â illegally utilized money meant for an association without either consulting members or informing them.

According to reports, Inspector Murana Kamara, attached to the OSD headquarters at King-Herman Road, and also a member of the Sierra Leone Boxing Association has been accused of squandering twenty million Leones belonging to the association, which it has been claimed was given to boxers by the Government of Sierra Leone as traveling and lodging allowances for a trip to Mali to represent the country in a tournament.

Mohamed Lamin Sesay, a member of the boxing association revealed they travelled to Mali virtually penniless as the government did not provide the funds to cover the expenses for lodgings and feeding. “We had to make do for ourselves,” he said.

“Before we traveled from Sierra Leone, we held a meeting with Ministry of Sports officials who categorically told us government does not have the money to pay our way to Mali, but said if we are able to foot the bills to go, we will be reimbursed,” Sesay said.

The boxer revealed that they were able to raise the funds individually and went to Mali were they competed successfully, winning a series of fights. Returning home, the boxer said after repeated appeals and constant lobbying in the sports ministry, the government handed the sum of Le.20 million to Inspector Murana Kamara, who is also the vice president of the association, with the expectation that he will inform the other members.

“Inspector Murana would have called an executive members and have a meeting with them so that he can explain to them about the payment government had made to the association but rather unfortunate nothing like such did not happen, but he instead used the money unknown to us,” Sesay said.

“As senior boxer in Sierra Leone, we had tried to meet Inspector Murana for this matter but he paid no attention to us, instead he started saying the association had to pay people as we are in serious debts which he said needs to be paid,” Boxer Sesay said.

“We did not expect Inspector Murana Kamara to use the money in such a blatant manner without consulting us, and we know that this money was paid to offset the expenses involved in our trip to Mali and not for other purposes like paying debts on behalf of the association.

Speaking with Inspector Murana Kamara over a mobile phone interview, he told this press that the money paid has been used to pay debts as the association had a lot of outstanding bills to be paid in various institutions like the stadium hostel and other place. Asked why he did not call a meeting or even consult members of the association, or even the executive, Murana said there is no need for him calling a meeting with the members as he said they already know that they have debts.

“Let them go to the Anti-Corruption Commission because putting it in the newspaper is child’s play to me,” the police officer said confidently.

Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!