A magistrate court in Freetown has granted bail to Lansana Dumbuya, National Secretary General of the All People’s Congress (APC), in a case brought under the country’s Public Order laws.
Magistrate Mustapha Brima Jah of Pademba Road Magistrate’s Court No. 1 approved the bail following a formal application by defence counsel S. K. Koroma. The matter has been adjourned to 24 February 2026 for further proceedings.
As part of the court-imposed bail conditions, Dumbuya has been placed in the custody of the Sierra Leone Bar Association and the APC’s Acting Chairman, Foday Yansaneh. According to the Association’s President, Adama Gento Kamara Esq., the custody arrangement forms part of the terms attached to the bail granted by the court.
Dumbuya faces three counts under Section 12(a) of the Public Order Act of 1965, as amended in 1973. The charges include incitement, using insulting language, and behaving in an insulting manner. Prosecutors allege that the offences stem from remarks he reportedly made during the APC’s rally at Attouga Stadium in Freetown.
His earlier remand earlier this week had heightened political tensions. On Tuesday, the magistrate declined to sign a production order, resulting in Dumbuya being returned to the Male Correctional Facility on Pademba Road. Subsequent procedural steps paved the way for Wednesday’s bail approval.
Lead defence counsel Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara had previously criticised aspects of the earlier proceedings, describing what he termed a failure to properly adjourn the matter as “unfortunate,” and emphasised the need for procedural clarity in politically sensitive cases.
The case has drawn strong reactions within opposition circles. The APC’s National Advisory Committee convened over the matter, and Opposition Leader in Parliament Abdul Kargbo publicly handcuffed himself in a symbolic gesture of solidarity following the meeting.
Observers note that the case has revived debate around the continued application of Public Order legislation in Sierra Leone’s political environment, particularly where political speech is concerned. While authorities maintain that the charges fall within existing statutory provisions, civil society voices have called for careful adherence to due process and constitutional safeguards.
With bail now granted under specific custody conditions, attention turns to the next hearing on 24 February, where the court is expected to address both procedural and substantive aspects of the case.
