News Story

FREETOWN - JUNIOR:Corruption has hit State house as video clips of the President of Sierra Leone are being sold for US$ 150. According to sources inside state house, video clips of visiting delegations and other foreign dignitaries paying courtesy calls on the President are allegedly sold by Claudius Beckley, the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Service cameraman attached to the Office of the President, to members of the general public.

A senior civil servant at State House told this medium that the practice is uncalled for and that such things should not take place at State House.
“Such unprofessional behavior and corrupt practice is a recipe for embarrassment for the President. Video clips of the President are not public documents and above all they should be kept in the archives,” he continued.

The official continued that the some statements which President Koroma makes during those meetings and courtesy calls are off record and could possibly embarrass the presidency and people of Sierra Leone if widely disseminated as it is being done in such an unethical manner.
“But if his video clip lands in the hands of the wrong people all because the SLBS cameraman wants to make money, it will be disastrous,” he said adding that President Koroma is only President of Sierra Leone whose clips have ever been sold by an SLBS cameraman.

He said the clips showed by SLBS are different as they are always edited before they are shown on TV.
It can be recalled that Beckley started this ugly this practice of selling President Koroma’s image to visitors on 17 September 2007 after the oath of office was administered to the President at State House.

The Press Secretary to the President Sheka Tarawalie when contacted said he was unaware of this practice taking place at State House. “It unofficial and it is not right but I will enquire,” he said.

However Claudius Beckley denied selling video clips of the president for $150 US dollars but confirmed that he gives cassettes and compact disks of the President to those who asked for it.

“They want to spoil my reputation, it untrue. I gave these clips to those who asked for it but I don’t ask for money they give me what they want in appreciation of my work. How can I do that?" Beckley said.

Meanwhile, it is alleged that SLBS workers are notorious for selling video clips and asking people to buy cassettes as the office is not providing cassettes for recording official engagements and other events.

A worker at SLBS who prefers to remain anonymous said that the SLBS management is not providing cassettes for recording events when the SLBS is invited to media events.
“We just have to ask the organizers to buy cassettes for their programmes to be video recorded and seen on TV. We too some times we are shy to tell organizers to buy cassettes,” he noted.