Unfolding evidence at the ongoing Commission of Inquiry has revealed that ex- President Ernest Bai Koroma approved a total of Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand United States Dollars ($550,000) as rent for the property of his former Secretary at Hill Station in Freetown to be used as office by the Petroleum Directorate.

In his testimony before Justice Biobele Georgewill yesterday on the financial activities and administration of the Petroleum Directorate superintended by the former President Koroma as de facto petroleum Minister, his former Secretary, Emmanuel B. Osho Coker said the money was approved by his boss in 2014.

The former Secretary to the President who took the witness stand yesterday to give detailed explanation about the said transaction told the jam-packed hall that he was reluctant initially to rent his property to any government entity but was prevailed upon by his former boss, President Koroma, to relax his decision, which he did.

He said, by the time he knew it, all documents in respect of the tenancy agreement had been produced, including an approval from the former President Koroma signed and stamped, instructing upfront payment to him.

In the same Petroleum Directorate under the supervision of ex- President Koroma as de facto petroleum Minister, the agency approved Le6.4B as terminal benefits for people under contract at Petroleum Directorate.

Evidence revealed that the former Director General, Raymond Kargbo, received Le2.6 Billion as terminal benefit under the former government and continued to serve in that position until he was sacked by the President Bio led SLPP government. It was also discovered that some of the staff that benefitted from the terminal benefits are still working in the agency.

Also, the sum of $4.5M was approved for the construction of Petroleum House by Guanjin Construction.

It can be recalled that the government audited report on the financial activities and administration of ministries, departments and agencies, under the ex- President Koroma government, revealed among several grand corruption that many private property owned by past government officials had been rented at bloated prices.