The people of Constituency 095, Sembehun-Nestucker, Moyamba district in the South Region have last Thursday 22nd September 2022 stormed FORUM newsroom with a complaint against their Member of Parliament, Hon Mustapha Musa Sellu, for alleged misappropriation of One Billion, Two Hundred Million Leones (Le 1,200,000,000) constituency development funds.
Hon Mustapha Musa Sellu who represents the incumbent Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) and Constituency 095 in the House of Parliament, allegedly received the said several tranches of the said funds on separate occasions.
The MP’s constituents claimed that since his assumption of office in 2018, he had so far received so many tranches of surface rents from Sierra Rutile for and on behalf of Constituency 095, which they alleged is accumulated to the above mentioned amount. Community 095 sources are that recent of such payment is the Seven Hundred Million Leones (Le 700,000,000) – 10% of constituency development fund, paid as a surface rent paid by the mining company operating in the community.
Sierra Rutile operates in Constituency 095 Sembehun-Nestucker among other chiefdoms in Monyamba district, south of Sierra Leone.
The multi-national company, as unearthed by FORUM investigations, paid the aforementioned amount of money to the ruling party MP, Hon Mustapha M. Sellu, as part of its contributions towards constituency development and the chiefdom as a whole.
It is also alleged that since Hon. Sellu became MP barely five years ago representing Constituency 095, to date, he is yet to undertake ambitious development project in the constituency and the chiefdom at large.
Speaking to some members of Constituency 095 including one of the Youth Leaders, who preferred not named, they randomly alleged that Sierra Rutile normally pay one hundred percent of surface rents to Constituency 095 through Hon. Mustapha Musa Sellu. They claimed that there is nothing to show in Constituency 095 and other places for the leadership of Hon Sellu, for the last four to five years in office, for which they urged transparency and accountability measures.
Jalloh of who trades in wares including building materials in Sembenhun Nestucker, confirmed to FORUM that he handed plenty blank receipts to Hon Mustapha Musa of Constituency 095 as authentication of legitimate transactions between his stores and the MP.
After several hours trying to get his comments on allegations made against him, Hon Mustapha Musa Sellu stopped short from confirming receipt of surface rents from Sierra Rutile mining company, saying: “I don’t even want to talk to you about this. I have done fifteen projects ranging from the training of thirty youth in hardware and other skills, the construction of mosques, community centres, installed solar lights, built culverts and bridges. ACC has inspected all projects in Constituency 095”. The MP however threatened to file a law suit against FORUM if any story is published on the issue under review. When contacted the Anti-Corruption Commission to throw light on the issue and what has the commission done about it, Patrick Sandi told us to call back but his phone couldn’t be reach for the second time.
To be continued in subsequent editions with detail documentary evidence.
