By Shadrach Aziz Kamara
The Judiciary of Sierra Leone has come under intense parliamentary scrutiny following revelations of missing court revenues and systemic lapses in financial accountability.
During a hearing of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held at the New Administrative Building in Parliament, Deputy Chairman Hon. P.C. Desmond Mahayei Kargobai presided over probing sessions into the 2023 Auditor General’s Report. The report flagged serious irregularities in the management of funds collected at the Pademba Road, Ross Road, and Waterloo Magistrate Courts.
According to the audit findings, revenues collected from these courts were not deposited into the designated government accounts. Instead, the monies remain unaccounted for, raising suspicions of mismanagement and possible corruption within the judiciary’s financial systems.
When summoned before PAC, a representative of the Judiciary, who declined to provide his name, attempted to shift responsibility onto the National Revenue Authority (NRA). He alleged that the NRA had collected the money via mobile money platforms but admitted that the funds had not been paid into the appropriate account. He further conceded that at the time of the audit, the actual status of the funds was unclear.
The Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) had earlier recommended the formation of a special committee within the Judiciary to trace the missing funds. However, under questioning, the representative could not confirm whether such a committee had been established. This omission prompted PAC members to denounce the Judiciary’s negligence.
PAC member Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara strongly condemned the Judiciary’s failure to act on the auditors’ recommendations. He argued that if the recommended committee had been set up, the NRA could have been compelled to provide accountability or refund the misdirected revenues. “Your inaction suggests possible collusion and connivance to siphon state resources,” Hon. Kamara remarked sharply.
Initially, the Judiciary’s representative claimed no concrete steps had been taken to recover the missing monies. However, under sustained pressure from the committee, he later admitted that the Master and Registrar had made verbal contact with the NRA, with assurances that a formal letter would follow.
Further deepening the committee’s concern, the audit also revealed that revenue collected from the Waterloo Magistrate Court had been deposited into an incorrect account, compounding the irregularities.
When pressed for explanations, the Judiciary’s representative argued that many of the issues flagged in the 2023 audit were “inherited,” noting that he had only assumed office in July 2024. PAC members, however, dismissed this defense, insisting that institutional responsibility could not be evaded by shifting blame.
Despite mounting criticisms, the Judiciary’s representative assured Parliament that steps were being taken to address the lapses. He pledged that the Judiciary would engage the NRA formally and ensure that all missing revenues are traced and accounted for.
The PAC, meanwhile, reiterated its commitment to holding the Judiciary accountable, stressing that financial mismanagement in such a critical arm of government undermines public trust in the justice system.
