MARAMPA MINES IN REVENUE SCAM
By Gibrilla Kamara
Marampa Mines Limited has come under intense parliamentary scrutiny over an alleged revenue management arrangement involving a third-party account linked to mining proceeds, raising fresh concerns about transparency and accountability in Sierra Leone’s extractive sector.
The issue surfaced during a sitting of the Parliamentary Committee on Mines held in Committee Room One on June 4, 2026, where lawmakers questioned the legality and propriety of the reported arrangement. The controversy centers on allegations that a third-party account was established or proposed within the framework of managing mining revenues generated by the company.
Chairman of the Committee on Mines, Hon. Emerson Lamin, strongly challenged the arrangement, arguing that it could contravene the provisions of Section 143(4) of the Mines and Minerals Development Act, which requires mining revenues to be paid into the appropriate public accounts in accordance with national financial management laws.
Hon. Lamin stressed that revenues derived from the country’s natural resources belong to the people of Sierra Leone and must therefore be managed through legally established government structures designed to ensure transparency, accountability, and public oversight.
In a strongly worded statement during the hearing, the committee chairman maintained that investors should not exercise unilateral control over the collection, management, or distribution of revenues generated from national resources.
“These are public funds derived from the resources of the people of Sierra Leone,” he emphasized, adding that all financial arrangements relating to mining revenues must operate strictly within the framework of the law.
Hon. Lamin further noted that the Parliamentary Committee on Mines comprises representatives of various national institutions and stakeholders whose collective responsibility is to protect the national interest. He argued that decisions involving mining revenues must be subjected to proper scrutiny and must not undermine existing public financial management systems.
The committee chairman also warned against any attempt to bypass statutory requirements, cautioning that weak oversight within the extractive sector could undermine public confidence and fuel concerns about governance and accountability.
He pointed to past concerns regarding delays in workers’ benefits and entitlements within the mining sector, arguing that such challenges underscore the need for stronger monitoring mechanisms and strict compliance with existing laws and regulations.
Reaffirming the committee’s position, Hon. Lamin stated that all revenues generated by Marampa Mines Limited must be fully accounted for and processed through the legally mandated public financial structures established by the Government of Sierra Leone.
The parliamentary intervention, he said, is aimed at safeguarding transparency, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that the benefits derived from the country’s mineral wealth are managed in a manner that serves the interests of all Sierra Leoneans.
The matter remains under parliamentary review as lawmakers continue their examination of the alleged arrangement and its implications for revenue governance within the mining sector.