The ruling Sierra Leone Peoples Party (SLPP) succeeded in removing ten Members of Parliament from the main opposition All people’s Congress (APC) party following a High Court ruling on Friday 31st May 2019.

Honorable Benjamin Turay of Constituency 128 is one of the lucky individuals to grab the seat from the people’s choice in that constituency. His effort to market his party to his constituents has now been hindered by current development and allegations of fraud. He has been accused of defrauding the very constituents he may rely on to give him second term in the House of Parliament.

The SLPP Members of Parliament is currently looking for ways and means to save his neck from great political calamity, should he refuse to refund money he allegedly collected from the poor traders in his constituency, which may result in his facing the Anti-Corruption Commission for further investigations. The issues of providing loans facilities to the masses is gradually becoming the easiest strategy to amass money by either Companies or individuals from poor traders or teachers who are struggling to make ends meet.

A group of Chairladies from various part of the city stormed this medium on Thursday 16th February, 2022 to officially report the SLPP Member of Parliament representing Constituency 128 in the Wilberforce Community, Honorable Benjamin Turay, whom they have accused of collecting the sum of 50,000 (fifty thousand Leones) each for a micro credit scheme allegedly provided by the First Lady, Madam Fatima Bio.

It was the expectations of the masses that the Parliamentarian would come to salvage their plight with lucrative projects in order to win their hearts and minds for the forthcoming elections.

The Chairladies, representing hundreds of traders, lamented that they continue to face humiliation and depression from their members over the ploy by the SLPP MP to collect over Le37,520,000 (Thirty-Seven, Million Five Hundred and Twenty Thousand Leones) from them for registration to benefit from the First Lady’s soft loan.

They furthered that when the First lady launched the Microcredit scheme to cushion the economic situation after the COVID-19 lockdown, the SLPP MP reportedly asked the Chairladies eight month ago to register in his Constituency Account for a business loan.

Investigations prove over the seven hundred and thirty traders registered in the constituency account. A total of Le37,320,000 (Thirty-Seven Million, Three Hundred and Twenty Thousand Leones) was deposited in the same account at the Sierra Leone Commercial Bank.

Since then, only a few were given the loan while 730 traders have been left to languish. Despite several efforts made by the traders to secure the loan they have paid for, regrettably nothing positive has been done by the SLPP Member of Parliament. There are allegations that everything in the account has been withdrawn.

Standard Times Newspaper reports that, when contacted, Honorable Turay explained that indeed the traders registered for the loan, and added that they have given loans to some and others have to wait. “In a situation, people want refund they should bring their receipts to me,” he said on Thursday and went to question the total amount allegedly paid by the traders at the bank. The Chairladies want to know why has it taken so long for the SLPP MP to come out with a statement relating to their money.