Parliament Warns CEO of Accord Logistic Against Disregarding Legislative Oversight
By Aminata Kamara
Parliament of Sierra Leone on Tuesday reasserted its constitutional authority, warning individuals and institutions both public and private against disregarding legislative oversight, following the appearance of the Chief Executive Officer of Accord Logistics, Johny Kouza, at the Bar of Parliament.
The Rt. Hon. Speaker of Parliament, Segepoh Solomon Thomas, said failure to honour invitations or summons issued by any Standing Committee constitutes contempt of Parliament and will attract serious legal consequences.
Addressing Kouza, the Speaker emphasized that Parliament would not hesitate to apply the full force of the law, including detention, against anyone who undermines its authority or disrespects its Committees. He stressed that compliance with parliamentary procedures is mandatory, regardless of an individual’s status or corporate influence.
The matter was brought before the House by the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Trade and Industry, Hon. Veronica Kadie Sesay, who reported that the CEO’s conduct towards the Committee was disrespectful. While describing the incident as unacceptable, the Speaker said Kouza had been issued a final warning.
“This Parliament will not tolerate any form of disrespect,” Speaker Thomas cautioned, adding that future violations would attract stiffer sanctions, including imprisonment.
The Speaker’s intervention was commended by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Abdul Kargbo, who praised the firm stance taken to defend parliamentary authority. He called for the same measures to be applied consistently to officials of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) who fail to honour parliamentary summons.
The incident has renewed public focus on Parliament’s oversight role as a key accountability institution and underscores expectations for cooperation between the legislature and both public and private sector actors in advancing transparency, good governance, and respect for democratic processes.
