POLITICS-SIERRA LEONE: Corruption Hits the Pop Charts

By Lansana Fofana Reprint | | Print |

Lansana Fofana

FREETOWN, Dec 4 2003 (IPS) - It is a measure of the frustration people in Sierra Leone feel about corruption, that a rap album which deals with this subject has topped the country’s music charts.

The album – entitled – Corruption, E do so", meaning ôcorruption, enough is enough" û has been recorded by a young artist called Daddy Saj. It has reportedly upset government officials û and was even said to have been banned from the airwaves by the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service (SLBS), which controls state radio and television stations.

This charge was strenuously denied by an SLBS official, who nevertheless chose to remain anonymous. ôWe at no time received a directive from the authorities not to play Daddy Saj’s (album) on radio or TV. Perhaps it is the disc jockeys who chose not to play the songs," said the official.

Three years ago, the government û with financial help from the British Department for International Development û set up an Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) to tackle cases of graft in the West African country.

Sierra Leone had become notorious for widespread corruption in the public and private sectors. Graft is considered one of the root causes of the country’s brutal 11-year civil war, which was declared over in January last year.

However, it seems the public has lost confidence in the commission, which many believe to be manipulated by the political elite.

ôThe Anti-corruption Commission is a toothless bulldog. They have hundreds of cases before them û but are yet to deal with (any) of them," says Sam Davies, an economic analyst based in the capital, Freetown.

His claims are echoed in a paper issued earlier this year by the Brussels-based International Crisis Group, which described the ACC as ôtoo hamstrung by politics to be either independent or effective".

Transparency International, a non-governmental organisation located in Berlin, placed Sierra Leone 116th on its Corruption Perceptions Index for 2003. The index listed 133 countries.

ACC head Valentine Collier says the backlog of cases before his office is due to inefficiency on the part of the Attorney-General’s office, which he accuses of working at a snail’s pace.

ôWe have certainly received dozens of cases involving both public and government officials, investigated many and sent (our findings) to the office of the Attorney-General. But, they are yet to charge and prosecute the individuals. This is unfortunate," Collier told IPS.

So far, only two government ministers and a member of parliament have been charged with corruption. And, many think that these individuals were singled out for attention because of political factors.

ôThe ACC is being used by the ruling government to witch hunt its perceived opponents," comments opposition politician Mohammed Kamara. ôThey don’t go after the real culprits û those (who are) highly placed."

Now, a special court has been established to deal with cases involving corruption, with several British nationals being employed as judges and prosecutor.

ôWe have appointed special anti-corruption judges to fast-track cases of such nature, and even now have in place a special prosecutor," said Eke Halloway, Sierra Leone’s Minister of Justice and Attorney-General.

Halloway admitted that the regular courts had not been sufficiently active in handling these cases. ôNow, things (will) change, and the government’s efforts at minimising corruption (will) bear fruits," he said.

President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah has also warned, repeatedly, that his administration will fight hard to eradicate corruption amongst public officials.

ôMy government will maintain a zero tolerance towards corruption. Henceforth, anyone found guilty of abuse of office will be dealt with," the President said recently in a public address.

A number of seminars and workshops have been held to sensitise people to the damaging effect of corruption on Sierra Leone’s economic and political life, but with little consequence.

In a letter published last month, Corinne Dufka, a researcher in Human Rights Watch's Africa division, wrote: ô…when I left Sierra Leone in October this year, I could not help feeling we had won a battle but lost the war."

ôWhile wartime abuses against civilians have stopped, deep-rooted issues that gave rise to the conflict remain. These include endemic corruption, a culture of impunity and weak rule of law, crushing poverty and inequitable distribution of the country's vast natural resources," she wrote.