By Sallie S. Kanu
Freetown City Council (FCC) has uncovered a corruption scandal involving the siphoning of funds generated from billboards into a secret bank account. Several officials are currently in custody, assisting the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) with the investigation, according to the Chief Administrator of the FCC.
Raman Tom Farma, speaking at a news conference in Freetown on Thursday, revealed that the exact amount of money removed from the secret account and the duration of the scheme remain unknown. The discovery was made in November last year, prompting the formation of a committee to investigate the matter. The committee was nearing the end of its investigation when the ACC became involved.
Farma credited the discovery to the internal control measures implemented by the FCC leadership under the supervision of the Mayor of Freetown, Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge as the ACC continues its work.