MOH Vehicles and Motorbikes Missing JKM
Sierra Leone’s 2024 Auditor-General’s Report has raised concerns over asset management at the Ministry of Health, after auditors discovered that 37 vehicles and 32 motorbikes listed in the ministry’s asset register were not made available for physical verification.
According to the audit report, the ministry also failed to provide ownership documents and vehicle logbooks for the assets during the verification exercise. As a result, auditors were unable to confirm the existence, condition, or proper use of the vehicles and motorbikes.
The total value of the unverified assets is estimated at NLe 1,224,000, a development that has raised questions about accountability and internal controls within one of the country’s most critical public institutions.
The Auditor-General noted that the failure to present government-owned vehicles for audit inspection violates public sector asset management regulations, which require all state assets to be properly recorded, safeguarded, and made available for verification when requested.
The report warned that weak asset controls expose government property to the risk of loss, misuse, or unauthorized allocation, particularly in sectors such as health where vehicles are essential for service delivery, outreach programs, and emergency response.
Auditors recommended that the Ministry of Health should immediately account for the whereabouts of the vehicles and motorbikes, submit all relevant ownership documents, and strengthen its asset management and monitoring systems to prevent future occurrences.
As of the time the audit was concluded, the ministry had not provided adequate explanations for the absence of the vehicles and supporting documentation.
The matter is expected to be examined by the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee, while the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) may also review the findings to determine whether further action is necessary.
