The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) of Sierra Leone has concluded a month long investigation of missing vehicles on board certain containers at the Freetown Port, a statement from the ACC issued today states.
The said investigation was instigated by a request from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning asking the ACC to loook into allegations of theft of the contents of four containers slated for auctioning at the Freetown Port.
“The ACC has formally concluded the investigation. In the course of that investigation, it revealed that two of the containers purportedly carrying vehicles were intercepted by officials of the US Customs and Border Protection who removed their contents because the vehicles were stolen from the United States of America,” an official from the ACC said.
The ACC says the containers were loaded and shipped from various ports in New Jersey and New York by a West African car theft ring in the United States of America.
“The containers arrived empty at the port in Freetown after they were intercepted by law enforcement agencies in the United States,” the ACC said, adding that the investigation relating to the said two containers do not disclose criminal liability to staff of the National Revenue Authority nor that of the Sierra Leone Ports Authority.
“The commission continues with its investigations in respect of the other two containers, and to also locate the local agents of this international car theft ring,” the ACC stated.
© ASM COMMUNICATION
www.africanistpress.com