The Anti-Corruption Commission has warned Ibrahim Sorie Kamara, a senior Tax Commissioner of the National Revenue Authority (NRA), not to use his fake Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree for any advantage in public service, in a press release put out on Tuesday June 14, 2022.
The warning came following allegation that Ibrahim Sorie Kamara acquired a fake Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Degree and it was further alleged that he used the said fake PhD degree to gain promotion at the NRA.
The ACC conducted a thorough investigation into the matter and various officials of the NRA, including the Board Secretary, the Director of Human Resource and Ibrahim Sorie Kamara himself, were interviewed in the process.
The Commission said in a statement on Tuesday June 14, 2022 that, after they had investigated ISorie Kamara, it is clear that he had attained a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting in 2001, Affiliate Certificate from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountant (ACCA), and a Master of Philosophy in Taxation.
“In 2019, he was awarded Honorary degree in Taxation jointly awarded by the London Graduate School and the Commonwealth University Business, Arts Technology, both institutions being unaccredited and therefore not competent to award PhD, having paid a total sum of Five Thousand, Five Hundred United States Dollars (USD$ 5,500),” the Commission said in the statement.
ACC also concluded that Sorie Kamara was promoted from Commissioner to Senior Commissioner of the Domestic Tax Department based on his competence and experience and having worked at the NRA for over 18 years, but not contingent on the unaccredited PhD which he was awarded while already been promoted.
“The decision was taken by the Board and Management of NRA; and other members of staff also benefited from the said decision.
That the element of an “advantage” being conferred on him within the meaning of the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 as Amended in 2019 has not been met, and therefore the ACC has closed the investigation and will proceed with others,” the statement reads.
The investigation is part of the Commission’s support to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), and other stakeholders in the work to verify the credentials of public officers in Sierra Leone.
By George M.O. Williams