The president of Sierra Leone has alleged that the United States exerted pressure on him to interfere in the country’s June 24 election.

President Julius Maada Bio made the claim during a speaking event at American University in Washington on Friday. He said that the US asked him to stop the Election Commission of Sierra Leone from calling the results of the election.

“I declined, and I said I have never called this institution, I am not going to call them now,” Bio said.

The US has raised concerns about the fairness of the election, which was criticized by both the opposition and international observers. Bio was re-elected in a contentious race.

Following the election, representatives from the US, EU, France, Ireland, and Germany announced in a joint statement that they shared concerns expressed by national and international observers “about the lack of transparency in the tabulation process.”

The Sierra Leone government has denied any allegations of interference in the election.