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APC Parliamentary Caucus Leader Peter Yamba Koroma says Hon. Sorieba Alhaji Turay, popularly known as Tamemkor, had previously told fellow lawmakers that he was approached with an alleged offer of US$100,000 and an SUV.
Koroma made the disclosure while speaking to Probe Media, in response to recent claims surrounding allegations that opposition lawmakers were offered money and vehicles in connection with Sierra Leone’s controversial constitutional amendment process.
According to Koroma, Tamemkor himself had informed lawmakers that an approach had been made to him, challenging recent claims that no such offer was made.
“Hon. Tamemkor was the MP who informed us that he was approached by the SLPP government with a bribe of $100,000 USD and an SUV,” Koroma said.
Koroma’s remarks come days after Tamemkor discussed the allegations in a separate interview, during which he said that no one had personally offered him the money or vehicle.
The conflicting accounts have added another layer to the political dispute surrounding the constitutional amendment bill, with opposition lawmakers continuing to reject allegations that they accepted inducements to support the proposed changes.
Publicly available reports reviewed for this story do not independently establish that the alleged US$100,000 or SUV was actually offered or delivered to an APC lawmaker. The allegations therefore remain disputed.
Koroma’s latest comments have, however, renewed attention on what Tamemkor allegedly told fellow APC lawmakers about being approached, rather than whether he ultimately received any money or vehicle.
The controversy forms part of a broader political dispute between the APC and the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party over the constitutional amendment process and the parliamentary procedure through which the bill has been advanced.
The individuals or officials allegedly responsible for making the reported offer have not been identified in the material reviewed, and the allegations have not been independently established.
