By Albert David
In a deeply troubling turn of events, the Judiciary of Sierra Leone, once a symbol of constitutional order, is now being manipulated into a political weapon. Under the direct influence of President Julius Maada Bio, the justice system has been instructed to issue death threats disguised as bench warrants against dissenting voices, including Mohamed Kamarainba Mansaray. This is not law. This is persecution.
While the state apparatus is mobilized to silence critics and intimidate truth-tellers, a far more sinister reality unfolds beneath the surface: the President’s own son-in-law, Jos Leijdekkers alias “Omar Sheriff”, has been credibly linked to international narcotic activities that pose a grave threat to Sierra Leone’s national security. Jos Leijdekkers continues to operate with impunity within our borders, shielded by proximity to power, and emboldened by a regime that has abandoned its moral and legal compass.
This is not merely unethical. It is catastrophic. The politicization of justice is a hallmark of authoritarian decay. It erodes public trust, undermines due process, and transforms the judiciary into an instrument of fear. The harboring of transnational criminal actors, especially those with familial ties to the presidency, represents a direct assault on Sierra Leone’s sovereignty, security, and international standing.
The duplicity of the so-called “war on kush” becomes painfully clear: while young Sierra Leoneans are criminalized, brutalized, and left to perish in a state-enabled narcotic genocide, those truly responsible for trafficking and distribution are protected at the highest levels of government.
This is not governance. It is deception. It is a constitutional betrayal. We are witnessing the systematic dismantling of democratic institutions, the normalization of impunity, and the transformation of Sierra Leone into a playground for criminal enterprise under the guise of statecraft. The reputational damage is incalculable. The institutional rot is metastasizing. And the silence of international partners risks complicity.
To the U.S. Embassy in Freetown, the British High Commission, and the European Union Delegation: your continued engagement with this administration must be re-evaluated in light of these grave developments. The people of Sierra Leone deserve more than diplomatic niceties. We demand accountability, transparency, and the restoration of the rule of law.
This is a civic emergency. And history will remember who stood silent, and who stood up.
