The Minister of Agriculture and Food Security continues to insist that he was unfairly treated by those who presided over the recently concluded Commissions of Inquiry.
Mr. Dennis Vandi has hired the services of prominent Freetown-based Lawyer, Mohamed Pa Momoh Fofanah to help clear his name through the Court of Appeal.
Mr. Dennis Vandi was accused of several acts of corruption and was ordered to refund and pay into the Consolidated Revenue Fund a huge sum of money (both in the local currency and in the United States dollars).
In one particular instance under the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology Mr. Vandi and three others (Dr. Minkailu Bah, Mani Koroma and Umaru A. Conteh) were ordered to refund the sum of USD 98,000.00 to the Consolidated Revenue Fund which was allegedly withdrawn from the School Materials Account and spent outside the mandate of the account on payment of two years rent for a property situate at No.7, Pricilla Street in Freetown as head office of the Teaching Service Commission.
The tenancy agreement in respect of No.7 Pricilla Street in Freetown was signed between Mohamed Arabiou Barrie (Landlord) and the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Prince E.O. Cole on 1st November, 2015 on behalf of the Teaching Service Commission.
Mr. Dennis Vandi was posted to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology as Permanent Secretary on 29th March, 2016. He was removed from the Ministry of Education on 31st August, 2016 and sent on leave “with immediate effect”.
How can Mr. Vandi refund money for a transaction that took place when he was not even working in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology?
It has to be emphasized that throughout the sittings of the Commissions of Inquiry, Mr. Vandi was never invited, contacted or even summoned to appear before the Commissions even though he was in the country.
As a law-abiding citizen, Mr. Vandi is now seeking relief from the Court of Appeal in order to clear his good name and reputation.
Mr. Vandi served as Permanent Secretary in several Ministries between 2007 and 2018.
President Julius Maada Bio has insisted that the Commissions of Inquiry were about transparency and accountability and nothing else.