Sierra Leone: Deputy education minister fired, arrested after rape allegations

Published January 13, 2015

The office of Sierra Leone's president says the country's deputy education minister has been dismissed from his post over allegations of sexual assault.

A statement from the office of the president late Wednesday said Mamoud Tarawalie had been relieved of his duties "with immediate effect" because he was facing "sexual assault and rape" allegations.

Morie Lengor, the assistant inspector general of police, said Thursday that Tarawalie was arrested Monday but had not been charged. He declined to provide details of the allegations.

Rape is punishable in Sierra Leone by up to 15 years in prison. The most recent State Department human rights report said rape was "greatly underreported" and rarely led to prosecution despite a new Sexual Offenses Act that took effect in August 2012.

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