Freetown, Sierra Leone – In a tense courtroom drama underscoring Sierra Leone’s fraught political landscape, Lansana Dumbuya, the National Secretary General of the opposition All People’s Congress (APC), was remanded back to custody following a fleeting and disorderly appearance at Pademba Road Magistrate Court No. 1 on Monday.
The session, presided over by Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah, abruptly halted due to security fears sparked by an overflowing crowd of supporters and observers, leaving the case’s next steps shrouded in uncertainty.
Dumbuya, a prominent lawyer and key APC figure, arrived at the court in handcuffs earlier that morning, escorted from the notorious Pademba Road Correctional Centre where he has been held since his initial arraignment last week. Chanting slogans like “There is victory for us” alongside party comrades, he projected defiance amid the gathering throng of APC loyalists, including high-profile attendees such as Acting Chairman Ambassador Osman Foday Yansaneh and National Publicity Secretary Alhaji Sidi Yahya Tunis.
The atmosphere grew charged as the courtroom filled beyond capacity, prompting Magistrate Jah to briefly enter, express concerns over his personal safety, and demand the presence of exactly 15 defense lawyers and two state prosecutors before any proceedings could advance. Citing threats from the large assembly, he swiftly retreated to his chambers without formally adjourning the hearing or addressing the charges.
Court officials offered no immediate clarification on whether the matter would resume later in the day or be rescheduled, fueling frustration among Dumbuya’s legal team.
Lead defense counsel Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara lambasted the proceedings as “unfortunate” and poorly managed, highlighting the absence of a proper adjournment as a procedural lapse that could undermine the trial’s integrity.
Dumbuya was promptly returned to the correctional facility, where he has spent the past four nights since his remand on February 12.
The charges against Dumbuya stem from an alleged press release issued by the APC, which authorities claim violated Sierra Leone’s Public Order Act of 1965, as amended in 1973. Specifically, he faces three counts: incitement, using insulting language, and behaving in an insulting manner under Section 12(a) of the Act. Prosecutors argue these offenses were directed at President Julius Maada Bio, escalating what opposition figures describe as a targeted crackdown on dissent.
Dumbuya pleaded not guilty during his first appearance last Thursday, but his bail application was denied despite arguments invoking constitutional rights and the new Criminal Procedure Act.
This case unfolds against a backdrop of simmering political tensions in Sierra Leone, where the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party (SLPP) under President Bio has faced repeated accusations from the APC of suppressing opposition voices since Bio’s controversial re-election in 2023. The APC, historically the dominant force during the post-civil war era and led by figures like former President Ernest Bai Koroma, has been vocal about alleged electoral irregularities and governance failures.
Critics, including human rights observers, view Dumbuya’s arrest as part of a broader pattern of using outdated colonial-era laws to stifle free speech, with the Public Order Act often criticized for its vague provisions that enable selective enforcement.
The court is expected to reconvene soon, though no official date has been announced. This development continues to draw national and international scrutiny, with calls for transparency and fairness in handling political cases intensifying.
