Parliament has voted by a two-third majority (100/136) by members present approving the removal of Auditor-General Lara Taylor-Pearce and her deputy, Tamba Momoh, marking a significant yet a  controversial development in the country’s governance system.

Earlier in the session, the Clerk of Parliament read a message from President Bio urging members of Parliament to consider the recommendations of the Tribunal report, which advocated for the removal of the Auditor-General and her Deputy.

The Leader of Government Business, Hon. Mathew Sahr Nyuma, subsequently forwarded the motion and summarised the findings of the Tribunal report, which cited allegations of professional misconduct by the AG and Deputy.

The vote was not without contention.

The Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, expressed frustration over what he described as insufficient time for opposition members to prepare for such a consequential decision.

“Most of our MPs are out of the country, and it will be unfair to vote now on this matter,” he said. He highlighted that members of his party were in Gambia and Abuja and pointed to what he termed “surreptitious arrangements” which ensured before the presence of SLPP MPs while leaving behind APC members.

“This item was never discussed at the Business Committee,” he noted, a point echoed by Hon. Daniel Koroma. However, the Speaker of Parliament rejected these concerns, stating that Parliament has never convened with all members present and insisting that the session proceed as planned.

Hon. Mathew Nyuma dismissed the opposition’s concerns, asserting that it is not necessary for every MP to be present for a vote and pointing out that some SLPP members were also absent.

He maintained that the inclusion of the matter on the Order Paper was done correctly, as per instructions from the Speaker.

Nyuma defended the Tribunal report, claiming that it provided sufficient grounds for the removal of Taylor-Pearce and Momoh.

He argued that the Auditor-General’s actions violated professional standards and undermined the principles of accountability and transparency.

Opposition MPs, had earlier, criticised the Tribunal report, calling it unfair and unjust.

They highlighted that independent institutions which reviewed the said matter had found no evidence of professional misconduct by Taylor-Pearce and Mr Momoh.

“The removal of the Auditor-General defeats the purpose of the President’s rejection of the 2020 Finance Bill, which was meant to prevent the improper use of public funds,” Kargbo argued.

During the session, the Speaker ruled that a two-third majority would be determined by the total number of members present in Parliament at the time of the vote, rather than the total number of members constituting Parliament.

“There has never been a circumstance in the past where a  two-third is calculated based only on members present,” he emphasised.

Despite his objections, the Speaker firmly stood by his decision and urged the opposition not to question his ruling.