The Public Account Committee (PAC) has ordered the Electricity, Distribution and Supply Authority (EDSA) and the Freetown Golf Club are to refund a whopping sum of Nle 48,450 to the Consolidated Fund.

The MPs discovered that EDSA paid the said amount to the Freetown Golf Club as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) which they strongly frown at.

The Committee also discovered that some Board Members of EDSA are members of the Golf Club which MPs viewed as a conflict interest to pay such huge sums to themselves.

The Auditor General’s Report claimed that, there is no justification on expenditures paid as Corporate Social Responsibility (CRS) to several organisations including the Freetown Gulf Club with whopping sum.

Making his submission, the Chairman Public Account Committee (PAC), who doubles as the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon Sengepoh Thomas said, there was no gainsaying that the 2022 Auditor General’s report isterrible and it is not good for this country.

The Chairman said, paying a whopping amount to Freetown Gulf Club’s rich people is a disservice to the people of Sierra Leone, adding that EDSA should have given such monies to the less privileged organisations than Gulf Club.

He said normally citizens blame Parliament for the mishaps in Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs), stressing that Parliament approved the budgets of MDAs and when mishaps happen in these MDAs the people tend to blame their representatives.

According to the Chairman, the Committee will not tolerate excuses this time, pointing out that the only excuse parliament will tolerate on any official of MDAs is when the President summons that individual at that material time.

Hon Sengepoh Thomas told MDAs that, Parliament would not accept any concocted documents to be submitted in parliament this time.

The Audit Report indicated the sum of over Nle 311 was used by EDSA without supporting documents.

The report maintained that the Goods and Service Tax (GST) were not paid to NRA and the Parliament had also ordered EDSA to address the issue within 14 Days with the NRA and government.

The PAC had also discovered in the Audit Service Report that EDSA Assets were not allowed to be physically verified by auditors.

However, the Chief Finance Officer, Mr Sannoh, of EDSA struggled to defend the institution and had agreed to refund the Nle 48, 450 paid to Gulf Club.

He also claimed that the government has to pay EDSA over Nle 450 and as a result they prefer to settle with the IPCs than to pay the GST to government.