State House, Freetown – Wednesday, 16th September, 2026 – The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) formally presented its 2025 Annual Report to His Excellency President Dr Julius Maada Bio on Wednesday. The report outlined the Commission’s progress in investigations, prosecutions, prevention, and public outreach, while highlighting the need for continued vigilance against emerging risks.
The report was presented to the Commission by Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala, Deputy Commissioner Augustine Foday Ngobie and senior ACC officials in accordance with the statutory responsibility of the Commission under section 19 of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008. Speaking during the presentation, Deputy Commissioner Ngobie said the ceremony fulfilled a statutory obligation and that the document provides an all-inclusive account of the Commission’s performance, achievements, and challenges in 2025.
Ngobie gave an overview of the Commission’s work over the past year and its core functions: prosecution, prevention, audits, investigations and intelligence, and public education and outreach. He emphasised the importance of human resources and administration in ACC operations, and the role of the Project Coordination Office, which manages the grievance redress component of the Productive Social Safety Net and Youth Employment (PSSNYE) Scheme.
The Deputy Commissioner also spoke about working with the National Anti-Corruption Strategy Secretariat and operational activity in the Commission’s five regional offices in Bo, Makeni, Port Loko, Kenema and Kono. On key institutional development, Ngobie highlighted the development and implementation of the Whistleblower and Witness Protection Regulations 2025, developed in collaboration with the Attorney-General’s Office, the Minister of Justice and Parliament. He said the regulations “reaffirm Sierra Leone’s commitment to the protection of persons who report corruption or provide evidence in the public interest and also establish mechanisms to avoid retaliation.”
Public engagement was another theme in the report. Ngobie said the ACC enhanced public education and awareness-raising activities in 2025. “We have stepped up our exposure on social media and digital platforms and strengthened our collaborations with the media and civil society organisations through formal agreements and memoranda of understanding.
The report notes that the ACC achieved a 90 per cent conviction rate in 2025, among other figures. The Commission also noted that Sierra Leone improved its position on Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, moving from 114th in 2024 to 109th in 2025. The report notes that implementing the National Anti-Corruption Strategy is another key achievement for the year.
Deputy Commissioner Ngobie thanked President Bio for his continued leadership and support to the country’s anti-corruption efforts. “As a Commission, we see our role as a responsibility to contribute to national transformation.
In his statement, President Julius Maada Bio welcomed the ACC delegation and congratulated the Commission on its efforts in the fight against corruption and national development. “Corruption is an enemy of the state and a natural risk to the development of a nation,” the President said, adding that the fight against corruption is sustained as corrupt practices still exist.
President Bio urged the ACC to continue relentlessly executing its mandate, focusing on protecting vulnerable citizens from the impact of corruption. The President acknowledged the importance of revenue-collection institutions like the National Revenue Authority, but stressed the crucial role of safeguarding public resources and ensuring they are used for their intended purposes as part of the anti-corruption effort.
The work of the ACC was a “hard task,” he said, urging the leadership and staff of the Commission to be on guard against the difficulties presented by emerging technological threats. “With the proliferation of advanced technologies and artificial intelligence, they can also be employed to subvert institutions and enable corrupt practices,” the President warned. President Bio closed by formally accepting the 2025 Annual Report and congratulating the ACC on its work, while urging the Commission to stay strong and not give up in the fight against corruption.
