Mr. Sandi informed the officers that the PNB is a unique initiative designed to improve service delivery in the public sector by tackling bribery using a scientific approach. The approach is focused on receiving reports from people who pay bribes, those who did not pay and those who met honest people in Government institutions, the Deputy Directed stated. He further explained that those reports are disaggregated and presented to the MDAs concerned for remedial or administrative actions in case of negative reports. Such actions may include suspension of Unit Heads, transfers, queries, dismissals and may even prompt intelligence led sting operations Mr. Sandi noted. He also clarified that the PNB is unconditionally anonymous and is purely meant to collect data that is analyzed and interpreted to show a clear trend of the patterns, forms, frequency and cost of bribery in MDAs . `
Deputy Director Sandi advanced that the project is yet at a pilot phase focusing on five pilot sectors: Water, Health, Electricity, Education and the Police; in five pilot Districts: Western Area Urban, Western Area Rural, Bo, Bombali and Kenema. Mr. Sandi urged the police officers to be diligent and honest in their work, rejecting and resisting bribes, in order to play their part in making the Police a “Force for Good”. The Deputy Director concluded by expressing gratitude to DFID on behalf of the ACC Commissioner, Mr. Ady Macauley, for their support to the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone, and the 4.7 million pounds funding for the PNB campaign.
Updating the Waterloo Police Division personnel on the current fact and figures in the PNB reporting portal, Alice Sama, Call Centre Operator at the PNB Call Centre, revealed that out of 6,574 reports for the SLP nationwide as at 28th March, 2017; 55 relate to Waterloo Division. Of the 55, 5 are for ‘I did not pay a bribe’, another 5 for ‘I met an honest official’ and 45 for the ‘I paid a bribe’. The Call Centre Operator also informed her audience that the SLP has received the highest reports so far in the country, 6,574, second is the Ministry of Health and Sanitation, 3,830 followed by the Ministry of Education 3,124, EDSA 661 and Water Resources 249. She was however quick to note that the fact that the Police has accounted for majority of the reports does not necessarily mean they are the most inclined to bribery but that they are the most reported on. She encouraged the officers to call free on the 515 PNB line, or download the PNB APP. on Google play or play store, or visit the website www.pnb.gov.sl to make reports on the platform.
Responding to the PNB message, Local Unit Commander of the Waterloo Police Division, Superintendent Andrew M. Kamara stated the fact that his boss, I.G. Munu has always emphasized the need for all Police Officers to support the ACC in pursuit of their mandate and adhere to the tenets of professionalism and integrity in the discharge of their duties. The LUC urged all his personnel to carefully reflect on what the ACC is saying so that, they will be well equipped to conduct themselves in consonance with anti-corruption ideals and ethos. He thanked the ACC for taking the PNB campaign to Waterloo and pledged that they will replicate the messages to their operational communities and do all they could to make the best use of the PNB Information, Education and Communication materials given to them by the ACC team. Constable Fudia Conteh, in her closing courtesies lauded the ACC for its relentless efforts in disseminating PNB messages to all and sundry irrespective of location.
The meeting was climaxed with questions, comments and answers session moderated by Magnus Bendu, Public Education Officer, ACC.
