World Vision Statement

The leadership of World vision International Sierra Leone Programme was informed that the KISS 104 radio station in Bo reported unfounded and distorted information regarding Mr. Mattia Dimoh, Manager for World Vision’s field operations in Bo and Pujehun districts, who was charged to court on Wednesday, 6^th May 2010 charged with “accessory after the fact” that is, allegedly aiding and abetting the escape of a world Vision staff whom the police wanted for questioning.

World Vision wishes to state the facts as follows:

1.         The World Vision office in Bo Town received a letter signed by the Local    Unit Commander (LUC) of the Bo Division of the Sierra Leone police force. The letter was addressed to the General Manager Sierra Leone Roads Authority, Southern Region, and World Vision was one of three recipients copied.

2.         World Vision noted that the reason the organization was copied in the LUC’s letter was in reference to the following clause quoted in the letter: “Investigations into the matter reveal that the following vehicle registration numbers were seen parked at the scene of the crime.”

3.         The letter listed six vehicles with registration number ADA 466 having the logo of World Vision attached.

4.         On receipt of the copy of the letter from the LUC, World Vision started conducting its own internal investigations to establish the facts and take necessary action. The leadership was dismayed to find out that one of it staff was in possession of the World Vision vehicle ADA 466, quoted in the LUC’s letter, during the late hours of Saturday night without authorization.

5.         The World Vision vehicle ADA 466, was supposed to be parked at the premises of the World Vision office in Bo at the time it was spotted at where the LUC letter referred to as the “the scene of crime” so the staff who was in possession of the vehicle was in complete breach of World Vision’s office procedures and vehicle policy.

6.         Mr. Dimoh reported at the Bo police station on Thursday 4^th May in a bid to understand the background to the LUC’s letter. The LUC explained that he sent some police officers to raid an area where they found a cult initiation ceremony in progress. He mentioned further that a World Vision vehicle ADA 466 was parked among others at the scene of the ceremony

7.         The LUC requested Mr. Dimoh to tender the vehicle ADA 466 to the police and also asked him to invite the person who was driving the vehicle at the time it was spotted at the scene of the nocturnal ceremony to make a statement to the police.

8.         Mr. Dimoh returned to the police station and tendered the vehicle ADA 466. However, he could not take the staff in question along as this staff had suddenly disappeared and his whereabouts were not unknown.

9.         Unfortunately, Mr. Dimoh himself was detained in place of the missing staff on Tuesday, 4^th May and charged to court on Wednesday, 5^th May 2010. He was charged for “accessory after the fact”- that is, allegedly aiding and abetting the escape of the staff in question.

10.       During the morning hours of Friday 7^th May 2010, the staff who had been in hiding since Monday and for whom Mr. Dimoh was detained and charged to court re-surfaced and presented himself at the Bo police station.

11.       Mr. Dimoh made a second appearance at the Bo Magistrate court on the same Friday 7^th May 2010. The senior state Counsel submitted to the Magistrate that he was not proceeding with the charges against Mr. Dimoh and asked for the case to be dropped.

12.       Consequently, the Magistrate dismissed the case against Mr. Mattia Dimoh.

13.       World Vision wishes to make it known that Mr. Mattia Dimoh was in no way connected with the alleged crime nor was he a participant at the nocturnal gathering which the LUC’s letter described as “the scene of crime” and a “case of unlawful assembly”.

14.       When Mr. Dimoh received the copy of the LUC’s letter, he only acted as the leader in charge of World Vision’s operations in Bo and Pujehun district to support the police in its investigations in a bid to let the law take its due course.

World Vision also wishes to make it known that the policy statements on the organization’s CODE OF CONDUCT which all staff and Board members sign carries the following clauses:

“World Vision is committed to conduct as an organization and by its personnel that is ethical, legal and consistent with values and mission.”

“World Vision opposes and does not act as a willing party to wrongdoing, corruption, bribery or other financial impropriety, or illegal acts in any of its activities.”

“World Vision takes prompt and firm corrective action whenever and whenever wrongdoing of any kind is found among its personnel.”

Consequently, World Vision cannot allow the indiscretion, ineptitude and reckless actions of any of its staff to taint the vision, image and corporate values which World Vision upholds in relief, advocacy and development work among children, their families and communities.

The World Vision leadership is taking firm and corrective action against the staff who was in possession of the vehicle ADA 466 while it was parked at the location the LUC’s letter described as “the scene of crime” and a “case o9d unlawful assembly”.

World Vision remains committed to conduct that is ethical, legal and consistent with its values and mission. The organization will cooperate fully with the police in their investigation process.  

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