In one year, Sierra Leone has slipped down eight places in the Transparency International, TI corruption perception index, CPI.

From its 150th position last year, the country has dropped to 158th to rank alongside countries like Angola, Azerbaijan, Burundi, Congo Republic, The Gambia, Guinea Bissau and Venezuela.

Going by this report, Sierra Leone is among the most corrupt countries in Africa. The 2008 CPI scores 180 countries (the same number as the 2007 CPI) on a scale from zero (highly corrupt) to ten (highly clean). Sierra Leone scored 1.9.

The 2008 CPI, launched yesterday, highlights the fatal link between poverty, failed institutions and graft.

According to TI, notable backsliders in the 2008 CPI indicate that the strength of oversight mechanisms was also at risk among the wealthiest.

However, the report stated that significant improvements were recorded in some countries over the last year. Nigeria is the only country that falls in that category. Nigeria jumped from 147 last year to 121.

Neighbouring Liberia also recorded a positive move from 150 last year to 138 this year.

The CPI is carried out for Transparency International by Prof. Johann Graf Lambsdorff of the University of Passau in Germany.