Sierra Leone ready for new law

Freetown - Sierra Leone's President Ernest Koroma will sign into law the new Anti-Corruption Act "sometime this week", and present his asset declaration form and that of all cabinet ministers to the Anti-Corruption Commission, the head of the anti-graft organisation said on Monday.

"Over 100 000 asset declaration forms will also be distributed in stages to all public officers on the government payroll as well as those in parastatals, state enterprises and city and district councillors over the next few weeks," anti-corruption chief Abdul Tejan-Cole disclosed.

Under section 119 of the new legislation, passed by Parliament in July, public officers will be required to give a sworn declaration of their assets and liabilities. The declaration will be updated annually every March 31.

Public officers who fail to declare the assets of themselves, spouses, children or girlfriend or who make false declarations will be guilty of an offence and can be jailed for up to a year, fined a maximum of $60 000 or face both fine and punishment.

Details in asset declaration forms shall be confidential unless - as in the case of the president - permission is granted to disclose it to the public, the act said.

The law gives the Anti-Corruption Commission the power to take any corruption case directly to the courts, although the attorney-general reserves the right to nullify such prosecution.