By Alhaji Haruna Sani
An alarming case of alleged fraud has surfaced at BetSalone, a prominent betting company operating both online and offline, with accusations of withholding rightful winnings from longstanding customers.
One of the aggrieved customers, who preferred to remain anonymous for now, disclosed that the company owed a substantial sum of six hundred million old Leones (600,000,000) since 2021.
According to him, instead of receiving the full amount, the company was paying him in tranches until his total balance was reduced to one hundred and thirty-seven million old Leones (Le 137,000,000).
He told Concord Times that when the company’s system was calibrated to the new Leones, he only received in his account One Hundred and thirty-seven New Leones (NLe 137) instead of one hundred and thirty thousand New Leones (NLe 137,000).
“I approached the company on several occasions to fix the issue but they kept playing me some games. I travelled out of the country for medical and returned after almost a year, but the new management has refused to listen to my concerns. I need my money because I deserve it,” the customer cried out.
While the said customer was on medical overseas, Concord Times contacted the company’s management, which noted that they can only resolve the issue upon the return of the customer.
Despite presenting ample evidence of the transactions, including online records, Bets alone has refused to rectify the payment issue.
The current management of the company has refused to look into the matter and instead referred the customer to the previous manager of the company for settlement.
The situation has sparked outrage among Sierra Leoneans, who are calling for transparency and accountability from BetSalone, amid concerns over broader implications for customer trust and financial integrity.