Sierra Leone’s parliament on Thursday ordered the chief executive officer of Accord Logistics to appear before the legislature or face arrest, after the company repeatedly failed to honour parliamentary summons, lawmakers said.
The move followed a motion by Veronica Kadie Sesay, chair of the parliamentary oversight committee on trade and industry, who accused the company of showing contempt for parliament by ignoring earlier directives to appear before the committee.
Sesay told the House that Accord Logistics, based on Bathurst Street in Freetown, had been given sufficient notice to appear and explain its actions but had failed to provide any satisfactory reason for its absence. She described the company’s conduct as a deliberate attempt to undermine parliament’s constitutional authority.
Citing Section 96 of Sierra Leone’s 1991 constitution, she called on parliament to invoke its powers to punish for contempt and to take all necessary steps to enforce the authority and dignity of the House.
Lawmakers backed the motion by acclamation, paving the way for formal contempt proceedings.
Following the vote, Acting Speaker Ibrahim Tawa Conteh instructed the clerk of parliament to immediately summon the company’s CEO to appear before the House. Conteh warned that failure to comply would result in the issuance of a warrant of arrest, to be executed by the Criminal Investigation Department.
“Parliament will not tolerate any disregard for its oversight responsibilities,” Conteh said, adding that the legislature would take all lawful measures to ensure compliance by individuals and corporate entities.
As of publication, Accord Logistics had not issued an official response to parliament’s decision.
By Feima Sesay
