By Foday Moriba Conteh
The High Court of Sierra Leone sitting in Freetown has convicted Dr. Sarah Finda Bendu, former Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA), and Victor Labor, the institution’s former Procurement Manager, on multiple corruption-related charges involving the misappropriation of public funds. The conviction was handed down on Monday, 15 December 2025, by Honourable Justice Cosmotina Jarrett J., following a trial instituted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC).
Dr. Sarah Finda Bendu was found guilty on eight counts, while Victor Labor was convicted on six counts under the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008. The offences included misappropriation of public funds, conspiracy to commit a corruption offence, failure to comply with procurement procedures and failure to comply with financial management guidelines. According to the court, the offences occurred between 2016 and 2017 and arose from a corrupt scheme involving payments made by the SLRSA to two clearing and forwarding agencies for services that were never rendered, resulting in the diversion of substantial public funds.
In delivering her verdict, Justice Cosmotina Jarrett held that Dr. Sarah Finda Bendu, in her capacity as Executive Director and Vote Controller, “authorized multiple disbursements without due diligence, allowed payments to be processed on forged and irregular documents and enabled the diversion of large sums of government funds.” The judge further ruled that Victor Labor facilitated the fraudulent scheme by preparing and approving procurement documentation that gave legitimacy to unlawful payments, noting that he knew, or ought to have known, that the transactions were unsupported by proper procedures. Justice Cosmotina Jarrett described the offences as grave, stating that they reflected a sustained pattern of corruption over nearly two years and constituted a serious breach of public trust.
In sentencing, the court fined Dr. Sarah Finda Bendu Le 240,000,000 (old Leones), payable immediately, and ordered her to restitute Le 697,245,506 (old Leones) to the Government of Sierra Leone within six months. Victor Labor was fined Le 180,000,000 (old Leones) and similarly ordered to pay Le 697,245,506 (old Leones) as restitution within the same period. Both convicts were also barred from holding public office for three years, in addition to the financial penalties imposed.
The case dates back to September 2019, when the ACC charged Dr. Sarah Finda Bendu, Victor Labor and Kipiatu Alghali, Head of a Clearing and Forwarding Agency, with multiple corruption offences. While Kipiatu Alghali pleaded guilty at her first appearance and was fined and ordered to refund over Le 500 million to the state, Dr. Sarah Finda Bendu and Victor Labor pleaded not guilty, leading to a full trial.
Reacting to the judgment, ACC Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. described the ruling as an exemplary anti-corruption decision, noting that the case involved the misappropriation of over Le 2 billion in public funds. The Anti-Corruption Commission has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting public resources and ensuring accountability in public institutions, stressing that no individual is above the law.