By: Audrey Raymonda John
Two men, Abdul Kanu and Mohammed Abu Turay, appeared before Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah on Tuesday, 23rd September 2025, to face charges related to the wrongful communication of President Julius Maada Bio’s travel manifest during a recent trip to the United Kingdom.
The defendants were arraigned on two counts of wrongful communication of documents, contrary to Section 7(1)(a) of the Treason and State Offences Act of 1963, as amended.
According to the charges, Abdul Kanu, on a date between 20th and 30th August 2025 in Freetown was allegedly in possession of President Bio’s travel manifest and that of his entourage, which he wrongfully communicated to Mohammed Abu Turay.
The second charge alleges that Mohammed Abu Turay, also in possession of the same manifest, wrongfully communicated the document to a third party identified as “Cash in Dubai.”
No plea was taken from the defendants during their initial court appearance.
State Counsel, Yusuf Isaac Sesay Esq., informed the court that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice had provided written consent for the case to proceed, in compliance with Section 1(2) of the Treason and State Offences Act No. 10 of 1963. The consent was filed on 22nd September 2025.
Counsel Sesay then requested an adjournment of 14 days to allow the prosecution to finalize preparations, including securing witnesses and serving all relevant documents to the defense.
Defense Counsel, J. Wales Esq., did not object to the adjournment but made a formal application for bail under Section 70(1)(c) of the Criminal Procedure Act of 2024. He argued that the defendants are Sierra Leoneans residing within the court’s jurisdiction, have no prior criminal records, and have cooperated fully with the police throughout the investigation.
Wales emphasized that, despite the seriousness of the allegations, the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty, as enshrined in Section 23(4) of the 1991 Constitution. He also noted that there was no affidavit from the prosecution opposing bail.
Concluding his application, Wales cited Section 76(1)(c) of the CPA of 2025, reiterating that the accused had been detained for 23 days and posed no flight risk.
After considering the submissions, Magistrate Mustapha Briama Jah denied bail, citing the serious nature of the offence, and adjourned the matter to 29th September 2025 for further hearing.