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President Koroma orders the arrest of a Lebanese businessman. |
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Written by Francis Sowa
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Monday, 22 February 2010 |
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President Ernest Bai Koroma has ordered the immediate arrest and detention of Ibrahim Mohsen, a Lebanese businessman.
Mr. Mohsen reportedly made a false declaration to the Customs Department of the National Revenue Authority (NRA) following the importation of twenty-one containers into the country. President Koroma said at a meeting at State House on Monday that he had evidence of the false declaration made by Ibrahim Mohsen and Sons of Eleven Sani Abacha Street. According to the President, Mr Mohsen declared that ten of the containers had common salt, nine had exercise books and two had tea bags. He said while the investigations were going on, some of the containers had already been cleared. But President Koroma said it was found out that ten containers had monosodium, four had corrugated iron sheets, and five had batteries. Only two of the containers had tea bags, the President added. President Koroma said when the Customs Department was alerted with regards the anomaly; a penalty of one billion, three hundred million leones was imposed on the importer. He said government could have lost that amount of revenue if the containers were not intercepted. The President said it was not business as usual and therefore the staff of the Customs Department, the importer and the shipping company must be brought to book. President Koroma said the shipping company that connived to give the false declaration should be penalized, blacklisted, and its operation stopped until the matter is concluded in court. He said officials of the Customs Department of the NRA have not heeded to his warning against corruption made last month. The president said if they have cause to change the entire staff of NRA because of such action, they would continue the process. Residents in Freetown have described President Koroma’s move as a step in the right direction. But they called for a speedy trial of all those involved in the act.
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The News 
