Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray, the former flagbearer of Sierra Leone’s Alliance Democratic Party (ADP), has broken his silence following his release from prison, where he served time for allegedly raping an underage girl in Kono.

Mansaray insists that the charges against him were false and part of a calculated plot to destroy his political career.

In a recent interview, Mansaray recounted the events leading to his arrest. “After the 2018 presidential election, I shifted my focus back to business, particularly building hotels in Makeni, Kono, and Bo. While in Kono, an elderly Lebanese man approached me, seeking help for his family. Though he was too old to work, I gave him some money out of compassion. The next day, he returned with his wife, biological children, and a foster child, who is the girl I was accused of raping. He asked me to help enroll her in a private school. As a philanthropist, I supported the education of 10 children in the community, including her, by giving their parents a total of 3 million Leones.”

Mansaray claimed he did not see the girl again after giving the money. Months later, in July, he said her biological father approached him, explaining that she had returned home after falling out with the Lebanese family. Soon after, Mansaray received a call from a friend informing him that a warrant had been issued for his arrest on charges of sexually abusing the girl.

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“I immediately called LUC Sankoh, the head of police in Tankoro, Kono, who reassured me that such allegations were common and I shouldn’t worry. However, I received multiple calls advising me to flee, but I refused because I am innocent,” Mansaray said.

Initially, police alleged the incident occurred in a hotel, but investigations revealed he was not there on the supposed date, February 14th. The accusation then shifted to an unfinished building, leading to his arrest.

Mansaray maintains the case was a politically motivated “order from above” to silence him. Despite his ordeal, Mansaray vows to clear his name.