President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone has sacked his state chief of protocol (SCOP), Fatmata Edna Kargbo after she gave an open at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN).
Ms Kargbo had travelled to Nigeria to give a testimony at the Lagos based church owned by Pastor TB Joshua.
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Showing photos of her appointment letter and luxurious house to a crowd in front of the church, the official said God has been so good to her since she was appointed.
“I want to thank God for blessing me with this job as SCOP to the president of Sierra Leone, ambassador at large and the blessings that come with it. If you look closely at this picture you will see my luxurious house God has blessed me with. I was living in a single room apartment. But my story is now different,” she said in a speech, aired by Emmanuel TV.
“The official has been relieved of her duties following a testimony she gave in a Nigerian church. Further administrative investigations will be carried out,” said a letter by the Office of the President.
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In a press release, Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission said the official is being investigated.
“The Anti-Corruption Commission has opened an official investigation into the conduct of the official and her testimony. We will also look at her source of wealth in acquiring her house and other properties. If it contradicts the anti-corruption act or we find instances of unexplained wealth, she will be charged to court and will be asked to pay a fine,” the release said.
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Since the video of her testimony with her appointment letter and her mansion went viral, the public has been discussing the issue with frustration, especially at a time when the government says it’s trying to minimise expenditures.
President Bio, as an opposition leader, campaigned on the platform of fighting graft and economic indiscipline, going ahead to win the 2018 elections on a Sierra Leone People’s Party ticket.
Bio’s administration has since waged war on graft, resulting in the arrest and prosecution of several former officials including a former vice president.
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About two weeks ago, several houses belonging to former ministers were barricaded as authorities investigated how they were acquired.
Earlier, keys to a hotel under investigation were handed to the government after no one claimed ownership.
