IDI and INTOSAI General Secretariat Voice Concerns Over Sierra Leone's Auditor General Removal

Against the backdrop of concerning developments in accountability and democracy, SAIs around the world are faced with declining levels of independence. One of INTOSAI's organizational priorities is to “advocate for and support SAI independence”, namely through concerted efforts by its leadership and working bodies to strengthen the eight pillars of SAI independence laid down in the Mexico Declaration on SAI Independence.

One of the current cases where SAIs have been affected in their independence through a breach of one or more of the pillars mentioned above concerns the SAI of Sierra Leone and the removal of the Auditor General and Deputy Auditor General in 2021. This case has been processed by the INTOSAI Development Initiative (IDI) through its SAI Independence Rapid Advocacy Mechanism (SIRAM). As a recent and important development, IDI and the INTOSAI General Secretariat released a joint briefing note to express their concern and position on 23 July 2024.

Please find detailed information about this case and its assessment in the linked article, which also includes background information and IDI's related summary materials.