By: Audrey Raymonda John
On Tuesday, 17 February 2026, the Principal Magistrate of Freetown Magistrate Court No. 1, Magistrate Mustapha Braima Jah, granted bail to Lansana Dumbuya, Secretary General of the All People’s Congress (APC). Before the bail was finalized, the magistrate ordered that Dumbuya be handed over to the Acting Chairman of the party, Osman Foday Yansaneh, through the Sierra Leone Bar Association.
Dumbuya had been remanded at the Pademba Road Correctional Centre while facing three charges: incitement, insulting conduct, and public insult against President Julius Maada Bio. These charges reportedly stem from remarks allegedly made at the Attouga Mini Stadium.
During the proceedings, both State and defence counsels were present. Lead defence counsel Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara welcomed the intervention of the Sierra Leone Bar Association, describing it as a positive step toward collaboration and reconciliation between the party leadership and the legal team.
Magistrate Jah confirmed that Dumbuya was granted bail and reiterated that he should be handed over to Acting Chairman Osman Foday Yansaneh through the Bar Association. The court originally adjourned the matter to 19 February 2026, but it has since been rescheduled to 24 February 2026.