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Anti Corruption Commissioner Mr. Abdul Tejan Cole has told members of the ACC Advisory Board that urgent reform of the Procurement Acts will help block one of the last remaining loopholes to massive corruption in Sierra Leone
He was addressing the Board during their regular monthly meeting recently. His comments came as a massive plan to chop close to $1.6 million (Le 6 billion) for procurement of fertiliser was uncovered (and blocked) at the ministry of Agriculture.
Jamal Shallop's Davida Enterprises won the contract to supply 29. 600 bags of fertiliser. Davida Enterprises had the highest price and in June 2009 he entered three companies. Barachel International Trading, Okar Agency and Mamba Enterprises for the I.D.B. sponsored purchases of fertilizer.
All Shallops’ companies entered bids of over $1 million for procurement of the fertilizer. Again he was recommended by the Procurement Unit.
The Shallops operate a similar multiple bidding system for contracts at Health and the Decentralization Secretariat.
Reliable sources say his personal relationship (sexual) with a senior official at Decentralization has long since ceded most contracts there to the Shallops- which caught the Anti Corruption Commission's attention some time ago at the Health Ministry.
Despite the fact that Okar Agency bid a sum more that twice the amount of the lowest bidder, the Agriculture Ministry's Procurement Unit had no hesitation in awarding the contract reportedly after some palms were allegedly greased.
Observers have raised alarms over the rampant waste of donor Funds and have called for various Procurement Units to avoid corrupt practices. An ACC review of the Agriculture ministry is expected early next year, a source close to the commissioner. |
Daily News 
