The Auditor General’s report states that some 97,823 bags of fertilizers were donated by to Sierra Leone by the Moroccan government in 2022.

The report confirms that between the period 30th October and 3rd November 2022 such amount of fertilizer was given to the government of Sierra Leone.

And in that, 81,580 bags were transported to the various stores: Stone One, Three, Four and Black store at Kissy in Freetown.

The AG’s report says 16,243 bags of the said fertilizers were kept in a private store at the Queen Elizabeth Quay.

According to audit report, it says during the verification to ascertain the existence and conditions of the fertilizers on 20th March and 19th April of 2023 by a team of auditors, Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) were unable to physically count the 81,580 bags of fertilizers.

And of which from that amount 23,569 bags were allegedly discovered at store One; 14,488 bags at store Three; 33,046 bags at store Four and 10,540 bags at Black store kissy.

The auditors claimed the bags of fertilizers were not properly stacked, and so the team was unable to confirm the actual quantities held in these stores.

“Despite several requests, the team was not granted access to the Queen Elizabeth Quay to verify the 16,243 bags of fertilizers worth SLE 24,364,500,” ASSL of 2022 report says.

Since the auditors were unable to physically count the bags of fertilizers, thus they couldn’t confirm whether or not the items were still kept in the store.

In their comment, the auditors conclude: “With respect to access at the Queen Elizabeth Quay Store in order to physically verify 16,243 bags of fertilizers alleged to have been kept in the said store, management still fails to grant the auditors access to carry out the verification, the issue remains unresolved.”