Unexplained Wealth Is but a Slice in the Corruption Triangle

The Lifestyle Offences in the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 as amended and in other anti-corruption statutes: unexplained wealth, being found with assets over income, and such-like situations of disparities between a person’s income and the resources he displays are almost certainly an indication of corruption. Proceeds of bribery may be very well hidden. Still, then, many times, their existence becomes apparent when those proceeds are utilised to provide the comfortable life for which they were originally stolen. The sometimes-lavish nature of our social life and the economic potential they reveal provide highly fertile ground for anti-corruption investigators. The trappings of grand living usually include social recognition and visibility. However, tracking and documenting this lavishness may sometimes prove challenging. With the aid of cases and statutes from the continent, including but not limited to Sierra Leone and Nigeria, this paper will explore how these lifestyle offences, as an example of corruption, have been approached by prosecutors in the past. It will identify possible challenges to tremendous success with these offences and proffer suggestions of how the problem may be approached differently. This complex issue requires your expertise and dedication to find innovative solutions.