By Ragan M. Conteh

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) has probed into the Auditor General’s Report where it discovered that the Director of Finance at Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), Peter Snell, for the past fourteen (14) years has been paying house rents for commission to a landlord, Mr. Kanja Bah without receipts.

Prof. Aliyageen Mohamed Alghali is the current chairman of Tertiary Education Commission (TEC).

The audit report disclosed that Mr. Snell failed to tender relevant documents to Audit Service Sierra (ASSL) for inspection.

The report further stated that one hundred and ninety-two thousand, eight hundred and twenty-seven Leones (NLe192,827) and Nle 66,357 payments were made in respect of rents for the commission’s without documents to substantiate the claim.

The chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) who is  Deputy Speaker of the House of Parliament Hon. Sengepoh Solomon Thomas said the audit report raised serious allegations against the commission which the committee needed answers to it. The said payment was made with the relevant documents.

The Deputy Auditor General, Morie Lansana told the committee when the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) went to the said commission for inspection, the commission failed to furnish them with the relevant documents for inspection.

Hon. Solomon Thomas ordered the Director of Finance at TEC to tender their bank statement including all the relevant documents as against Friday 16 February, 2024.

He admonished them using taxpayers’ money without any relevant documents.

Hon. Dixson Rogers member of the committee said every month the government deducted approximately seven (NLe7,000) to eight thousand Leones (NLe8,000) from their salaries as tax.

Though Mr. Snell later tendered or furnished the committee with 2012 receipt, having perused the receipt, Hon. Aaron Aruna said  the receipt does not have feature of receipt, adding that it is without TIN number. The receipt was not also notorized.

The Deputy Speaker Hon. Thomas admonished the chairman of Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) not allow his boys to tent his reputation which he had already built for years.

Hon. Sengepoh Solomon Thomas described Mr. Snell’s action as contempt of content, perjury and forgery.

For exacerbating the situation, Mr. Snell made the said payment with invoices and relevant documents and without the approval of the chairman of the commission.

The audit report disclosed receipts and serve agreement forms were not also provided for audit inspection.

PAC recommended that all payments made should be supported with relevant documentary evidence to substantiate the payment which TEC woefully failed to do.

Hon. Sengepoh Solomon Thomas ordered him to tender all the relevant documents on Friday February 16, 2024 to the Committee’s Clerk.