The High Court of Sierra Leone Holden at Freetown, presided over by the Honourable Justice Cosmotina Jarrett J., on Monday 15th December 2025, convicted DR SARAH FINDA BENDU, former Executive Director of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) and VICTOR LABOR of the same institution on EIGHT (8) COUNTS and SIX (6) COUNTS of various corruption offences respectively.
DR SARAH FINDA BENDU and VICTOR LABOR were convicted on multiple counts of Misappropriation of Public Funds, contrary to Section 36(1); Conspiracy to Commit a Corruption Offence, contrary to Section 128(1); Failure to Comply with Applicable Procedures and Guidelines Relating to the Tendering of Contracts, contrary to Section 48(2)(b); and Failure to Comply with the Applicable Procedures and Guidelines Relating to the Management of Public Funds, contrary to Section 48(2)(b) of the Anti-Corruption Act 2008.
The Honourable Justice Cosmotina Jarrett J. sentenced DR SARAH FINDA BENDU to a total fine of TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY MILLION (OLD) LEONES (LE 240,000,000) to be paid immediately, and made a RESTITUTION ORDER for her to pay back to the Government of Sierra Leone the sum of SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY-SEVEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND SIX (OLD) LEONES (LE 697,245,506) WITHIN SIX (6) MONTHS of the judgment.
The Honourable Judge sentenced VICTOR LABOR to a total fine of ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY MILLION (OLD) LEONES (LE 180,000,000) to be paid immediately, and made a RESTITUTION ORDER for him to pay back to the government the sum of SIX HUNDRED AND NINETY-SEVEN MILLION TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND SIX (old) LEONES (LE 697,245,506) WITHIN SIX (6) MONTHS of the judgment.
It could be recalled that, in September 2019, the ACC indicted DR SARAH FINDA BENDU, VICTOR LABOUR and KEPIATU ALGHALI on various counts of corruption charges relating to a corrupt scheme that led to the misappropriation of public funds at the SLRSA. Whilst Ms. ALGHALI pleaded guilty on her first appearance, DR. BENDU and MR. LABOR pleaded NOT GUILTY at the time.
Delivering her verdict, the Honourable Justice Cosmotina Jarrett said that DR SARAH FINDA BENDU “authorized multiple disbursements without due diligence, allowed payments to be processed on forged and irregular documents, and enabled the diversion of large sums of government funds.” She said VICTOR LABOR “was present at all material times and facilitated the documentation, approvals, and procurement processes that gave legitimacy to payments he knew, or ought to have known, were unsupported by proper procedures.” She said “the gravity of the offences cannot be overstated.”
In this regard, the Commission wishes to reassure the general public of its relentless commitment to protect public funds and other State resources.
For further enquiries on this and other matters, please contact Sylvanus Blake, Deputy Director, Public Education and Outreach Department, on +23278501520 or via email info@anticorruption.gov.sl
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ABUBAKARR TURAY
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUTREACH DEPARTMENT
