According to the UK Financial Times, a number of employees at the British High Commission in Sierra Leone have been suspended over suspicions of defrauding the UK government of around £2 million. The permanent secretary of the Foreign Office, Sir Philip Barton, informed the Commons foreign affairs committee about this incident, which will be reflected in the department's annual accounts.
The fraudulent activities primarily revolved around the procurement of diesel fuel for electricity generators at the UK High Commission in Freetown. The full extent of the scheme and the exact amount lost are still being investigated. In a letter addressed to the committee, Barton stated that it is believed a group of staff members colluded to bypass controls. The individuals involved in the fraud have been suspended, and disciplinary actions are currently underway.
Barton also mentioned that he has initiated a review to identify what went wrong and has implemented a program to strengthen safeguards at the outpost.
The disclosure of this incident has raised concerns among Members of Parliament (MPs) regarding broader issues of fraud, theft, and corruption related to UK government and UK-related charitable funds abroad.
Neil Coyle, a Labour MP on the committee, criticized the leadership of the Foreign Office for neglecting the management of embassies and commissions since its merger with the Department for International Aid in 2020.
Coyle demanded reassurance that there are no other instances of fraud or corruption within the Sierra Leone office and called for measures to prevent fraud and the misuse of British taxpayers' money across all global operations.
Alicia Kearns, a Conservative MP and the committee's chair, highlighted that Barton's letter followed news of a fraud case involving a charity led by Rory Stewart, a former UK international development secretary, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.