Leema Demands Refund Of Le 13Million From SLPP

By Abdul Rahman Bah

Senior SLPP member, Lahai Lawrence Leema, has disclosed that he is seeking the return of about Le13 million he had paid to the Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) in connection with an intended upgrade of his status within the party, after waiting for almost two years without a clear explanation.

Leema made the disclosure while speaking about his relationship with the governing party and his personal position within the SLPP. He said the money was paid with the expectation that his status would be upgraded to what he described as “Distinguished Grand Chief Patron,” but that the process has remained unresolved.

According to him, nearly two years have passed since the payment, yet nobody within the party has provided him with a satisfactory explanation about the delay or the status of the arrangement.

Leema said he has therefore decided to request his money back so that he can put it to other uses.

“I just give them the intent to go take my money back and put them into some use,” he said, stressing that his decision should not necessarily be interpreted as an act of dissatisfaction with the SLPP.

He maintained that the money is refundable because the proposed upgrade has not been completed.

Leema questioned why his payment should remain with the party for such an extended period when the purpose for which it was made has apparently not been fulfilled.

He said that if the party no longer considers him viable for the proposed status upgrade, it should communicate that position clearly and return his money.

The disclosure raises questions about the financial arrangements surrounding party membership, recognition and internal status within political organisations, particularly where individuals make substantial payments based on expectations of recognition or advancement.

Leema appeared keen to separate his demand for a refund from any immediate political confrontation with the SLPP. He insisted that he was not making the request simply because of dissatisfaction with the party.

Instead, he presented the matter as a practical financial decision after waiting for what he considers an unreasonable period without a resolution.

The former government minister also reflected on his broader relationship with partisan politics, suggesting that his political identity has become more complicated over the years.

He recalled that as far back as 2020, he had expressed an interest in maintaining an identity beyond being viewed strictly as a partisan political figure.

“I still want to be seeing myself as a street person, as it is now, and not being really identified as a partisan character,” Leema said.

His remarks suggest a desire to maintain a public identity that is not entirely defined by party politics, despite his association with the SLPP.

For Leema, the issue therefore appears to extend beyond the Le13 million. It touches on his changing relationship with political parties, his expectations of recognition within the SLPP and his desire to maintain a degree of independence in how he is publicly perceived.

The demand for a refund could also put pressure on the SLPP to clarify how such payments are handled, what conditions govern internal status upgrades and what mechanisms exist for resolving cases where an expected recognition does not materialise.

Political parties rely heavily on the confidence and financial contributions of their members and supporters. Where substantial sums are paid for specific purposes, transparency over the use, conditions and refundability of such payments becomes important to maintaining trust.

Leema’s disclosure has therefore opened a wider conversation about accountability within political organisations and whether party members who make financial commitments receive sufficient information about how those funds are administered.

For now, Leema says his position is straightforward: after waiting for almost two years without a clear resolution, he wants his money returned and intends to use it for other purposes.

He insists, however, that the request should not automatically be interpreted as a declaration of war against the SLPP.

Rather, it reflects what he describes as a personal decision to recover funds that have remained tied up for too long, while at the same time continuing to reassess his own place in Sierra Leone’s highly partisan political environment.