ACC Reports 81% Asset Declaration Compliance, Warns Officials of Sanctions

Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has reported an 81% compliance rate in the 2026 public officials’ asset declaration exercise, with the deadline for submissions set for Friday, August 21.

Speaking at the Government’s weekly press conference at the Miatta Civic Centre on Tuesday, ACC Operations Coordinator Patrick Sandi said 13,036 out of 16,144 targeted public officials had submitted their declarations as of the latest update.

Sandi warned officials who fail to meet the deadline that the Commission will strictly enforce sanctions provided under the Anti-Corruption Act.

According to the ACC, officials who fail to declare their assets will first receive a 14-day default notice. Continued non-compliance could result in a one-month salary freeze, followed by a three-month suspension and eventual dismissal from public service.

“The fight against corruption is still very robust. We are at the very top,” Sandi told journalists, adding that the Commission is working to match or surpass the compliance recorded during the previous declaration cycle.

He noted that 99.54% of targeted officials eventually declared their assets during the last cycle after administrative enforcement measures were applied.

The Commission attributed the improved and smoother submission process in part to ongoing digital reforms implemented in collaboration with the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI). Officials are also exploring mobile-based asset declaration options to further simplify the process in future cycles.

Beyond the asset declaration exercise, Sandi disclosed that the ACC handled 107 corruption-related cases during the reporting period, of which 23 were concluded, resulting in six successful prosecutions.

He further reported that more than Le1.305 million in misappropriated funds had been recovered from completed investigations.

As part of its preventive efforts, the ACC has also established Integrity Management Committees across various public sector institutions to identify and address corruption risks before they develop into systemic problems.

Sandi urged members of the public to continue reporting suspected acts of corruption, assuring them that the Commission’s witness protection measures remain in place to safeguard whistleblowers.

With the online asset declaration portal scheduled to close on Friday, August 21, the ACC is urging all outstanding officials to complete their submissions before the deadline to avoid the prescribed sanctions.