According to Mary Yabonette Conteh she feels letdown, molested, abused and dumped by Musa Tarawally, adding that sometime in January this year, she was given a vehicle by Musa Tarawally for campaign promises and that he had promised that she could take the vehicle as her property for her efforts in popularizing the CDP in Makeni. According to her, she had been doling micro credit to several women groups and explained to Musa Tarawally that once she entered politics the micro credit clients would be reluctant to pay back the loans running into forty million Leones (Le40M) but that Musa Tarawally told her not to worry as he would return the amount to her to pay back to the bank she took the loan from.
She further lamented that in the case of the vehicle that Musa Tarawally had given to her on the pretext of her taking ownership of it, “he held on to the documents to the vehicle and after we lost the election, he started demanding that I return the vehicle which I consider to be contrary to what we had initially agreed on,” Mary Yabonette Conteh said almost in tears.
She also lamented that Musa Tarawally asked her and some other candidates to relocate to Freetown but that he has since abandoned them and is even refusing to answer telephone calls. She added that for her to return the vehicle Alhaji Musa Tarawally has threatened her that when the SLPP (which he declared his support for following his party’s defeat at the polls) return to power he would ensure he deals with her to retrieve the vehicle at all cost.
AYV newspaper contacted Hon. Alhaji Musa Tarawally to respond to the allegations made against him. He refused to comment but hastened to state that it has been a long time he has not talked to Mary.
“Let her show evidence of me discussing with her.” Hon. Musa Tarawally stated.
Below is the letter of complaint she sent to the AYV:
Mary Yabonette Conteh
2 Station Road, Makeni
Sierra Leone
8th March, 2018
Complain of Intimidation and Death Threats
Since my declaration to aspire for Mayor for Makeni Municipality under the Citizens’ Democratic Party (CDP), I and my family have continuously faced several threats and intimidation from my political opponents and supporters. This is especially worse for me because the area where I contested for Mayor is in the stronghold of the incumbent government and besides it is the Northern Region of Sierra Leone where male chauvinism is extremely high.
That notwithstanding, I have also received more death threats because of my positive utterances and stand taken for the rights of LGBTs (Lesbian and Homosexuals) during the National Women’s Mayoral Candidates’ Debate that was aired by AYV TV on 1st March, 2018.
Based on these unfortunate events, I am writing this letter to formally draw the attention of the diplomatic community in Sierra Leone to these unfortunate events that has and continues to put my life and that of my family into extreme danger and besides I am a woman who is in the midst of a male dominant society and a society extremely frowns at lesbian and bisexual rights.
I hope my complaint will receive the utmost attention it requires.
Mary Yabonette Conteh
Mayoral Candidate for Makeni Municipality
Citizens’ Democratic Party (CDP)