Bernard Abass Kargbo – PEO, ACC
The Deputy Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Augustine Foday Ngobie has told the ‘Saudi-Maldives International Forum on Integrity’ the strides Sierra Leone has made to combat acts of corruption in the tourism sector in a bid to instill integrity, transparency and accountability in the sector.
The conference, under the theme ‘Combating Corruption and Strengthening Integrity in the Tourism Sector’, was held at Villa Nautica, Maldives, from May 6-7, 2025.
Highlighting the country’s rich tourism potential, which includes its white-sand beaches, historical landmarks, and natural reserves, Mr. Ngobie acknowledged the key challenges confronting the sector, noting that “Sierra Leone has not been able to significantly tap into its huge tourism potential as the sector itself faces its own unique set of challenges, including corruption”. He pointed out that “Incidents of bribery, kickbacks, and misappropriation of public funds are the most common forms of corruption in the sector.”
The Deputy Commissioner outlined Sierra Leone’s approach to combat these issues, as he states that the “Commission has effectively employed the country’s Anti-Corruption Act 2008 (as amended) in 2019, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy(NACS), and the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), to mainstream integrity, transparency, and accountability in the sector.” He said that the ACC’s multi-faceted strategy, which includes public education, prevention, investigations, prosecutions, and non-conviction-based asset recovery, has proven to be working in the right direction.
Citing past enforcement actions, Mr. Ngobie recalled a 2019 incident where border health officials were swiftly arrested following allegations of bribery involving two tourists. However, he stressed that corruption is only one of several challenges facing Sierra Leone’s tourism sector, as he noted that, “the Medium-Term National Development Plan highlighted more serious challenges facing the sector, which includeineffective regulatory policy frameworks, inadequate and outdated overall tourism planning, and the poor shape of tangible cultural heritage sites and monuments, and inadequate basic tourism infrastructure.”
In his closing remarks, Mr. Ngobie called for stronger international support, urging wealthier nations to invest in Sierra Leone’s tourism sector. He assured potential investors of government’s commitment to integrity and transparency in tourism governance.
