Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has returned a second cheque worth one million new leones — equivalent to one billion old leones — to the Freetown City Council (FCC), as part of funds recovered from a corruption case involving council staff and a commercial bank.
The handover took place on Monday, October 20, 2025, at the ACC’s Integrity House in Freetown, where Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala presented the payment to the FCC’s Chief Administrator, Rahman Tom Farmar.
According to the ACC, the sum represents the second instalment of three billion old leones (Le 3,000,000,000) misappropriated from the council’s account by a group of employees acting in collusion with staff at the bank where the council’s funds were held.
The Commission said the full amount had been recovered, including interest, following an internal investigation into the suspected fraud.
ACC Commissioner Kaifala said administrative sanctions had already been imposed on those implicated and confirmed that key offenders would face prosecution.
The first tranche of the recovered money was returned earlier this year. Monday’s payment brings the total amount repaid to two-thirds of the total sum, with a final instalment expected to complete the restitution process.
The ACC has in recent years stepped up recovery efforts in high-profile corruption cases as part of its mandate to ensure public funds are restored to state institutions.
By Amida Bangura
