Senior Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) member, Alie Kabba, has called for the release on bail of All People’s Congress (APC) National Secretary General, Lansana Dumbuya, stressing that bail remains a constitutional safeguard that protects due process.
Dumbuya is currently being held at Pademba Road Prison in Freetown, where he faces charges including allegedly insulting President Julius Maada Bio.
In a public statement, Kabba said that although he does not condone Dumbuya’s alleged conduct, the rule of law must prevail and his constitutional rights should be respected.
“Let Lansana Dumbuya be granted bail while his matter proceeds before the courts. Bail is not acquittal. Bail is not endorsement. Bail is a constitutional safeguard,” Kabba stated.
He emphasized that granting bail would allow the judicial process to proceed fairly, noting that Dumbuya, given his public position, is unlikely to evade justice.
Kabba also reflected on his own experience in 2015, when he said he was arrested and denied bail during the administration of former President Ernest Bai Koroma, describing the incident as an abuse of state authority. He recalled that members of his party and some individuals from the APC had spoken out in defense of fairness at the time.
He urged the SLPP to uphold constitutional order, democratic values, and national unity, adding that political differences should not undermine the country’s commitment to justice.
Kabba concluded by calling on leaders and citizens alike to stand on principle and ensure respect for the rule of law.
The former SLPP flagbearer aspirant expressed this concern over the detention of APC’s National Secretary General, following his court appearance on Thursday, 12 February 2026.
Dumbuya was denied bail and remanded at Pademba Road Prison after being charged with three counts related to an earlier alleged offence, for which the APC had already been fined by the Political Parties Regulation Commission (PPRC). He had previously been invited and detained for a day by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on 5 February 2026.
