News Story

FREETOWN: ABDUL OSAIO KAMARA: The APC's key investor who seems set to fulfill President Ernest Koroma's "business executive" credentials is Mr. Frank Timis who describes himself as a Romanian-born investor and "self-made millionaire." The New People has decided to look at the APC's knight in shining armour who is busy bribing every APC supporter or minister he runs into with "hospitality" and "greeting gifts." Perhaps the Anti-corruption Commission needs to rename "corruption" to embrace the APC government's new term for outright bribes. Well, we were promised no sacred cows by no less a person than President Ernest Bai Koroma - not even when foreign scoundrels bribe politicians, chiefs, local elders and youth leaders.

The New People can now authoritatively reveal that with the full knowledge of the President, Ernest Bai Koroma, (who constitutionally approves the absence of every government minister from the Republic of Sierra Leone) Frank Timis sent the Transportation Minister, Mr. Kemoh Sesay, on a trip to Romania to observe the operations of his company. The New People wonders whether such conduct does not fall under the rules of ethics and good public conduct which are constitutional obligations on all appointed ministers, and which the anti-corruption commission should make its business to investigate?

The New People can also reveal that Frank Timis' group has been bankrolling APC officials with hundreds of millions of Leones in order to keep them in line and in being fully supportive of their business' operations in Sierra Leone. Such an embarrassing controvery was in evidence last month when at the ceremony in Lokomasama Petifu Junction, Hon. Komboh Kamara of constituency 56 Lokomassama Chiefdom announced that they had been given 61 million Leones to organise the welcome ceremony. Hon. Binneh Bangura quickly denied that Hon. Komboh Kamara had exaggerated the amount of money because he was too elated. This drew an approving giggle from the crowd. Hon. Binneh Bangura, speaking to me a week later, confirmed that he was surprised that the amount had been 61 million leone because he had been told a different figure. Apart from such disparities, with APC MPs not fully disclosing the full amount of bribes to even their partners, there is also the fact that Frank Timis' group has also been giving personal brown envelopes to the MPs as "tell-ow-du" or greeting courtesies to the locals and their leaders. Timis has also bribed several chiefs and local youth leaders.

The New People sources also affirm that there exists a paper trail that indicates that the following ministers, Honorable MPs, and other dignitaries have been feted (drinking and eating lavishly) in a hotel in Lungi with all expenses paid by Frank Timis' group. Other persons who have enjoyed Frank Timis' "hospitality bribes" include the following:

Hon. Kemoh Sesay, Transportation and Aviation Minister

Hon. Ignosi Koroma, Deputy Minister of Mineral Resources

Hon. Minkailu Mansaray, Minister of Labour, Employment and Industrial Relations

Hon. Binneh Bangura of constituency 55

Hon. Komboh Kamara of Constituency 56 Lokomasama,

Hon. Salamatu Turay of APC

Hon. Abubakarr Koroma (APC MP)

Hon. Mohamed Kahim Kanu (APC MP)

Hon. Isatu G. Koroma (APC MP)

Hon. Alhaji O. Daramy (APC MP)

Hon. Alhaji Buya Sesay (APC MP)

The Mines Ministry's Abdul K Wurie, A.B Manasary, Jacob Quee and Tomas Koroma have also received these unethical largesse from the Frank Timis group.

Does the anti-corruption commission's mandate extend to investigating unethical conduct where government ministers and MPs receive hospitality and other unspecified bribes?