The National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) has secured a major legal victory in the Magistrate Court in Freetown against Accord Logistics Ltd and its Chief Executive Officer, Johny Koussa, over failure to remit statutory social security contributions.
In a ruling delivered this week, the court found the company and its CEO guilty under the NASSIT Act and ordered them to pay a total of Le 609,345.75, covering arrears, interest, and penalties.
The court rejected the defence’s claim that a Joint Venture Agreement limited their liability, ruling instead that the NASSIT Act takes precedence over any conflicting agreement, even if ratified by Parliament.
The Magistrate also held that the amount stated in the agreement had not been verified by NASSIT, and therefore could not override the Trust’s assessment. The court further ruled that interest and penalties for late payments are mandatory under the law.
As part of the judgment, both defendants were convicted and ordered to pay the full amount owed. They were also sentenced to four years imprisonment or a fine of Le 4,000.
The case was presided over by Sahr Kekura and the judgment was read by Principal Magistrate Mustapha Brima-Jah.
NASSIT was represented by a legal team led by U.D. Farakhan Sesay, while the defendants were represented by their own counsel.
The ruling reinforces NASSIT’s authority to enforce compliance with social security laws and recover outstanding contributions from employers.
