By Sorie Fofana.
The Auditor General of Audit Service Sierra Leone, Mrs. Lara Taylor-Pearce and one of her deputies, Tamba Momoh were suspended indefinitely from office on 11th November, 2021. A special tribunal has been set up to investigate them “for professional performance or the lack thereof”.
When the Auditor General and her deputy were suspended, some of their supporters ridiculously attacked the President for merely carrying out his Constitutional mandate.
They argued that the decision by the President to suspend the two senior auditors was an attempt to stop the Audit Service Sierra Leone from submitting to Parliament what they referred to as “a damning” audit report on the public accounts of Sierra Leone for the year ended 31st December, 2020.
However, on 9th December, 2021 a Press Release from Audit Service Sierra Leone revealed that, “The Acting Auditor-General of Sierra Leone wishes to inform the general public that the Audit Report on the Public Accounts of Sierra Leone for the year ended 31st December, 2020 has been submitted to Parliament today Thursday 9th December, 2021”.
It is now very clear that the Annual Audit Report prepared by Mrs. Lara Taylor-Pearce and her cronies was the one presented to Parliament. It was presented to Parliament in its original form. It was not edited. Those who had pompously claimed that Lara Taylor-Pearce was being targeted because of her determination to release her hard-hitting audit report must be ashamed of themselves. The audit report has been submitted to Parliament unedited.
In the 2020 Audit Report, the Auditor General raised concerns over the selection of a private company to provide private jet services for the Presidential delegation to Lebanon. What the hell does the Auditor General mean? She failed to understand that during that trip, the President was going for an urgent medical treatment in Lebanon. The safety and security of the President is of great importance. The least said about that, the better!
Mrs. Lara Taylor-Pearce raised issues with payment of hotel bills and for medical treatments. She said payment for medical bills incurred for the treatment of the President was made in cash instead of bank or wire transfer.
This is so very trivial! What was Lara’s motive? Was it meant to embarrass the President?
She also spoke about receipts for payment of US$156,113.73 for hotel accommodation for the President and delegation. She described the receipts as “marred by discrepancies, inaccuracies and inconsistencies”. What is really wrong with this woman?
Mrs. Lara Taylor-Peace was actually determined to embarrass the President by going out of her way to find faults where there are no faults.
Why did they have to send someone to Lebanon to find out whether it is true that the President stayed in the hotel he claimed to have stayed? Why did they have to send someone to Lebanon to find out if it is true that the President did check into the hospital he claimed to have admitted to?
If Mrs. Lara Taylor-Pearce had no intention of embarrassing the President, Why did she have to go that far?
The Secretary to the President, in his response to the audit queries noted that, “The security of the President should not be compromised in making such decisions”. Need I say more?
Those of us who are familiar with issues like these know that they are just smoke and mirrors. Period!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!!!
