ACC Refutes Octea Mining's Claims of Clearance Amid Ongoing Investigation

The Anti-Corruption Commission has issued a clarification regarding a circulating communique from Octea Mining. Octea Mining had asserted they were cleared of all corruption allegations by the Commission. However, the Commission's attention has been drawn to a letter dated 6th May 2025, from Octea Limited to the Office of the First Lady, containing inaccurate statements about the investigation of Koidu Holdings (SL) Limited. Specifically, Octea Limited claimed the Commission confirmed there was no evidence of corruption, bribery, or similar activities by Koidu Holdings.

The Commission confirmed an ongoing investigation against Koidu Holdings Limited for serious corruption offenses under the Anti-Corruption Act 2008, clarifying that no conclusion or confirmation of clearance has been reached.

According to ACC, investigation of Koidu Holdings (SL) Limited encompasses various issues, including Corporate and other Tax Evasion, failure to apply appropriate deductions to employee emoluments and remit them to relevant state institutions, abuse of power by avoiding payment of required employee entitlements, failure to pay appropriate taxes on mineral exports, abuse of labor laws, inappropriate use of expatriates, improper offshore arrangements, and collusion with state institutions and individuals to undermine revenue payments, labor rights entitlements, and other liabilities.

They stated that contrary to Octea Limited's assertion of clearance, these issues remain under active investigation. Upon conclusion, all stakeholders and the public will be duly notified of the outcomes.

Furthermore, the Commission clarifies that the assertion in Octea Limited's letter regarding an investigation of the First Lady for siphoning public and charity funds is inaccurate.

The Commission investigated the propriety of allocating public funds to the First Lady's office and determined it was proper, given previous similar or larger allocations to past First Ladies but had recommended preventative recommendations which have been subsequently implemented.

Some have however suggested that the ACC is acting as a government entity to support the first lady's authority, which is being challenged by Octea's proposed lawsuit against her.