SLCB Faces Legitimacy & Credibility Checks …Over Construction Of $1.5 M Building At Adonkia

By Aruna Momoh Kargbo

The procurement for the construction of a building at Adonkia with the contract sum of US$1,502,131.51 by the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank (SLCB) faces legitimacy and credibility checks.
This was captured by the protector of the Sierra Leone public purse, Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) in their recently published report referencing several procurement irregularities.
The report maintained that from a review of the procurement documents, bidding documents submitted by the various bidders were not sighted.
“The evaluation report stated that the bidding document was published on 7th March 2023; however, the date on the issued bidding document was dated 18th August 2022,” the report uncovered.
ASSL noted that the technical consultant advice was not adhered to or followed as it was clearly stated in the report that the cost quoted by the winning bidder Larubasa was over 19% above the consultant estimate and above the amount approved by the board.
That neither the evaluation report, nor procurement committee minutes were not dated and that letters of regret sent to the two unsuccessful bidders were also not sighted during the review.
The report also disclosed that copy of the advance payment guarantee was also not sighted.
“The correspondence from the NPPA with the subject submission of evaluation report and restricted bidding document with respect to the procurement of building at Adonkai bears the same dates 16th May 2023 but with different wordings,” the Audit stated.
That the variances between the documents bearing the same date question the legitimacy and credibility of the document.