Gento Group of Companies Exonerated

Sierra Leone Parliament through the Public Accounts Committee yesterday exonerated Gento Group of Companies of any wrong doing as against what was earlier reported in the 2022 Audit Reports.

Earlier the 2022 Audit Reports had alleged that according to findings on the audited accounts of the government of Sierra Leone, the issue of double payment to Gento Group of Companies, was brought up. The issue became topical to the extent that the Chief Executive Officer of Gento Group of Companies, Mohamed Gento Kamara challenged the report on the grounds that what was published in the reports had so many factual errors.

Yesterday’s Public Hearing by the Public Accounts Committee, the issue was finally laid to rest as an official from the Ministry of Finance told the committee that they realized some mistakes was made in the 2022 Auditor General Report. It was discovered during a committee hearing that the miscommunication about the payments to the company was caused by a typographical error.

The decision to halt all ongoing construction throughout the nation was made at a meeting held at the Ministry of Finance, according to Alfred Jalil Momodu, the Director-General of the Sierra Leone Roads Authority.

The Gento Group of Companies was among the pertinent parties informed of this suspension. Documents were produced to show that, in fact, the work had been halted in accordance with the government’s order. The Ministry of Finance’s Kemokai Fatorma acknowledged their error, which ultimately led to the error in the final Auditor General Report.

Due to this mistake, the Gento Group of Companies’ situation was misunderstood and misrepresented. The issue pertaining to the Gento Group of Companies would not have been included in the final report, according to Deputy Auditor General, Morie Lansana, who expressed regret over the oversight. He emphasized that the error had its root in the Ministry of Finance, and that this had a significant impact on the audit report.

Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh voiced his displeasure with the Ministry of Finance for causing misunderstandings and adding more layers of complexity to the audit process after the disclosure. He went so far as to propose taking money out of Mr. Kemokai Fatorma’s pay and depositing it into the Consolidated Revenue Fund Account as a form of accountability for breaking Section 36.  In order to resolve the confusion and provide clarification, he directed the Ministry of Finance and SLRA to formally write a letter to the Auditor General’s Office.

The Gento Group of Companies’ acquittal on charges of double payment highlights the importance of accurate record-keeping and coordination among government agencies in preventing future errors of this kind. Gento Group of Companies’ reputation has been restored and the matter has been resolved.