By Bampia James Bundu
Sources at the police Family Support Unit and the Criminal Investigations Department have given Politico a full account of the rape allegations against the Deputy Minister of Education, Mahmoud Tarawallie who was sacked yesterday following his arrest and detention by police. According to our sources, the alleged victim who is a university student, told investigators that Tarawallie was her friend’s boyfriend but that he suddenly changed and started sending her lurid text messages which she said were shocking and surprising to her. She said that once those attempts had bounced back, Tarawallie promised to give her a scholarship to study overseas. Ukraine was a first option but that was ruled out for some reasons we are still investigating. On Monday 9 September, she went on, the minister called her to bring her travel documents and her résumé for a recommendation for an overseas study. At 11:00 am she arrived at the minister’s office with all her particulars. She was ushered into the office where she spent the whole day. She was not allowed to leave the room even when a group of students’ union leaders from Port Loko came to visit him. One of the student leaders has confirmed to Politico that the lady was introduced to them by the minister as his private secretary and that they shook hands with her before leaving. At around 3:00 PM, she went on, she became apprehensive but did not want to appear to be rude to the minister. However she said, once the minister had insisted that she wait she decided to leave. He allegedly got up and halted her, promising to give her a ride home. Our sources quote the alleged victim as saying that once they left the minister’s office, the vehicle did not go to where she had asked to be taken to rather they went along Kingharman Road where the minister alighted from the vehicle and asked that she be not allowed to get off the car until his return. Once he returned they drove to a guest house at Handel Street where she was allegedly led into a room by the minister. She alleged that he attempted to touch her erogenous zones which she tried to beat off until the minister hit her in the face and forced her down priming her. She said the minister became desperate and she feared that she may be struck dead. Having been exhausted she gave in and the minister allegedly raped her “without a condom”. She later fought with him for her phone which he had seized. Once she was able to retrieve it she went straight to the New England Ville Police station and reported the matter. Our police sources say the minister in his statement admitted to having had sex with the complainant but said they were lovers even if saying that they had never had sex before. He also admitted to the scuffle between them which he alleged was because she asked him for money which he did not have on him. He alleged that as she attempted to run away she hit the wall and injured herself. The minister spent his second night in detention at the Criminal Investigations Department last night. According to a State House press release issued yesterday, his sacking was to allow for police investigations into the matter. In a telephone interview with Politico, minister of social welfare, gender and children’s affairs, Moijue Kaikai, said his ministry was also interested in the matter and was therefore looking forward to seeing “a speedy conclusion” of the investigations. He said they were in support of the president’s decision to sack him and would not make further comment until the outcome of the investigations was made known. “The social welfare ministry has, on several occasions, condemned rape and sexual harassment against women in the country,” he said. (C) Politico 12/09/13
