New Country Directors pay courtesy call on Minister Kai-Kai

The National Director of World Vision Sierra Leone, Sagare Thaw; the Country Director of Marie Stopes, Daud Iqbal and Country Director of WeltHunger Hilfe, Marco Di Cecco, paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Planning and Economic Development, Dr. Francis Kai-Kai, at his Tower Hill office in Freetown.

Eric Massally, the National Director for NGO Affairs, welcomed and presented the profiles of the Country Directors. He explained their impressive and versatile backgrounds and experiences in development cooperation, humanitarianism and administration.

In his remark, Minister Kai-Kai thanked the Country Directors for their visit and for the important role their respective organizations play in complementing the effort of government, reiterating President Bio’s commitment in continuously recognizing the NGO community, as critical actors in the actualization of the New Direction Agenda in particular and Sierra Leone’s development in general.

“This Government recognizes the invaluable role that NGOs play in promoting national development, we believe that both parties must work closely to ensure mutual trust, confidence and transparency within a strengthened partnership framework”, said Minister Kai-Kai, “we remain committed to providing the enabling environment for NGOs to operate and contribute to national development in a free, responsive, transparent and accountable manner”.

The Minister explained the policy oversight that the Ministry provides to the operations of NGO activities, ensuring that they are effectively coordinated and monitored to increase performance, as recommended by the Development Cooperation Framework.

The Country Directors, on their part thanked the Minister for the warm reception, noting that they were really looking forward to deepening the good working relationship between the Ministry and their organizations. They added that their organizations would continue to support the government with its development efforts, particularly in their various sectors of operation.

President Bio Participates in Dubai Expo 2020

His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio has participated in the Dubai Expo2020, a global destination organised every five years for millions of people to share ideas, showcase innovation, encourage collaboration and celebrate human ingenuity.

Speaking on Sierra Leone’s National Day at the EXPO, where people displayed cultural and traditional performances, Minister of State for Tolerance in the United Arab Emirates, UAE, His Excellency Sheik Nahyan Bin Mubarak AL-Nahyan, extended appreciation to President Julius Maada Bio, the First Lady Madam Fatima Bio, and the people of Sierra Leone for their huge and quality participation in the Expo Dubai 2020, adding that it would allow the country to display its unique and great culture and investment opportunities.

He further noted that the relationship between the two countries had grown over the years to a greater height and was becoming stronger everyday, saying that that was why the UAE would continue to support Sierra Leone in areas of health, education, agriculture, and other important sectors.

“Today, Sierra Leone is a strong trade partner with the UAE, and with this EXPO 2020, we hope to strengthen the relationship between the two countries for sustainable growth and development. We have immense mineral resources as mapped out in our recent national geophysical survey, vast expanses of arable land, oil and gas prospects, beaches, islands, and coastal waters rich in fish,” he said.

In his remarks, His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio thanked the leadership of the UAE and the organisers of the EXPO Dubai 2020 for the warm reception and hospitality accorded him and members of his delegation since they arrived. He said the UAE was a great and beautiful country that had been globally recognised as the beacon of tolerance, adding that that level of tolerance and commitment to global peace was worth commending.

The President recalled that since her attainment of nationhood on 2nd December 1971, under the dynamic leadership of the founding father and President, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, the UAE had also attained remarkable socio-economic advancement in such sectors as artificial intelligence, banking and finance, tourism and hospitality, infrastructure, space exploration and digitalisation. He said they had also been at the centre of global humanitarian actions.

”I wish to thank the leadership of the UAE for their continuous support to my country and many others, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“EXPO Dubai 2020 undoubtedly offers a unique platform for countries around the world to showcase diversity and potential, to connect with business leaders and policy makers, attract investments, and discuss ways of fostering a brighter and sustainable future for all, urging greater partnership, dialogue, and collaboration among nations as the world tackled the adverse social and economic impacts of COVID-19, especially on our smaller African economies.

“I call on the UAE leadership to lead a campaign on debt relief for smaller countries like Sierra Leone,” he urged.

ACC SECURES CONVICTION AGAINST DANIEL KAPRI SERRY, MINES COMPLIANCE OFFICER OF THE NATIONAL MINERALS AGENCY

The High Court of Sierra Leone Holden at Freetown, presided over by the HON. JUSTICE COSMOTINA JARRETT, has on Friday 15th October, 2021, convicted and sentenced DANIEL KAPRI SERRY, a Mines Compliance Officer of the National Minerals Agency (NMA), and of No. 6 Azzolini Highway, Makeni, to pay a fine of FIFTY MILLION LEONES (Le. 50,000,000.00) or SERVE FIVE (5) YEARS IMPRISONMENT, following his conviction on one count of corruption offence.

The HON. JUSTICE COSMOTINA JARRETT convicted DANIEL KAPRI SERRY after he pleaded guilty to Count Three of the charges, Accepting an Advantage, contrary to Section 28 (2)(a) of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 12 of 2008 as amended by Act No. 9 of the 2019 Amendment Act. He was ordered to pay a fine of FIFTY MILLION LEONES on or before the 30th November, 2021, or serve a jail term of Five (5) Years.

It could be recalled that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), on the 26th August, 2021, filed an indictment against DANIEL KAPRI SERRY on various corruption offences. According to the particulars of offence, DANIEL KAPRI SERRY, on diverse dates between 1st and 28th February 2021, peddled influence and accepted an advantage for himself in order to make use of his influence to obtain a benefit from a public body. Between the said dates, DANIEL KAPRI SERRY, accepted the sums of Five Thousand US Dollars (US$5,000), Two Thousand US Dollars (US$2,000) and Three Hundred US Dollars (US$300) respectively for himself from businessmen CHI CLMENT and SIMPLICE BEDY, in order to make use of his influence to facilitate the release and conveyance to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 15 Kilograms of gold valued at Three Hundred and Fifty Thousand US Dollars (US$350,000). DANIEL KAPRI SERRY also accepted without lawful consideration an IPhone 11 in consideration for him to trace and apprehend one FATMATA BOMPORO SESSAY, a businesswoman involved in the sale of the said 15 Kilograms of gold.

The Commission wishes to reassure the general public of its resolve to fight corruption at all levels and hold public officers accountable while executing their duties.