Law Court Building
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Assistant Director in the Foreign Division of the Bank of Sierra Leone, Mr. Albert Foday Boima has made an appearance before Justice Adrian Fisher to testify in the alleged corruption matter between the State against the former 2018 Presidential Flagbearer of the main Opposition All Peoples Congress (APC), Dr. Samura Mathew Wilson Kamara and four other Sierra Leoneans.
Mr.Albert Foday Boima who appears as the Fifth Prosecution Witness was led in evidence by the Anti- Corruption Commission (ACC) lead prosecuting counsel, Calvin Mastesbo.
Lawyer Calvin Mantsebo informed the court that the witness before the court is an additional witness whose name is not at the back of the indictment.
According to the witness, he has served BSL for over ten years in other capacities and not in the present position as Assistant Director, in which he has served for only two years.
As Director, Mr. Albert Foday Boima said he oversees all receipts on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); and also advices on all Foreign Reserves Management.
The witness confirmed that all MDAs have an account with BSL, and that he is au-fait with all remittances to Foreign Permanent Missions outside Sierra Leone, and further explained processes and procedures involved in making payments to Foreign Missions.
Lawyer Calvin Mantsebo confronted the witness with a court exhibit document titled, “City Bank Statement of United Nations Permanent Mission” with an Account Number 9992132962.
Mr. Albert Foday Boima acknowledged the above document, and on Page 11 of the document, it confirmed a transaction in the sum of (US$862,300) Eight Hundred and Sixty Two, Three Hundred United States Dollars paid on the 13th January 2019 on behalf of the Government of Sierra Leone in favour of the Permanent Mission in New York.
At Page 17 of the exhibit document, PW5 stated that on the 6th May 2020, a remittance in the sum of (US$435, 652) Four Hundred and Thirty- five Thousand, Six Hundred and Fifty Two United States Dollars for the same purpose also took place.
On the 21st July 2020 at Page 19, Boima said another sum of Four Hundred and Thirty -Five Thousand, Five Hundred and Eighty Three United State Dollars was made and on the 5th September 2019 at Page 21, the sum of Nine Hundred and Ninety- Five Thousand, Four Hundred and Twenty Eight Dollars was paid for the same purpose in New York.
The prosecution witness was not cross examined by any of the defense counsels as all of them said they had no questions for the witness.
Justice Adrian Fisher, the presiding Judge in the matter, adjourned the matter to the 10th June 2022 for testimony of the Sixth Prosecution Witness.
The accused persons are before the Anti- Corruption Court sitting in Freetown at the main Law Court Building Siaka Stevens Street on related criminal corruption indictment with regards to the refurbishment of the Chancery Building In New York.
