Lawyer Ady Macauley of the All Peoples Congress (APC) party has been detained by the Sierra Leone Police for alleged remarks he made over the media prior to the August 10, 2022 protest in Freetown and other parts of Sierra Leone.

Yesterday the Sierra Leone Police invited Lawyer Macauley, an aspirant for the secretary general position of the APC party, to the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) headquarters in Freetown. 

“We cannot verify the reason for his invitation but we have reason to believe that it is connected with his political affiliation,” stated a letter addressed to the President of the Sierra Leone Bar Association by B&J Partners law firm. “We are of this view because the invitation was sent to him through Mr Minkailu Mansaray – former Deputy Chairman of the All People’s Congress (APC) Party.”

The letter, dated 5 October 2022, further states: “We also have reason to believe that it is not unconnected with the 10^th August 2022 riot in Sierra Leone because rumours abound that he was wanted because he had incited the rioters with his interpretation of Section 26 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone Act No.6 of 1991 and Section 17 of the Public Order Act No.46 of 1964 on a television debate with other Lawyers, namely Hon. Hindolo M. Gevao and Ibrahim Tommy Esq. prior to the riots.”

However, if the rumours are anything to go by, the letter states, “we believe the invitation of Ady Macauley Esq. amounts to an attack on his fundamental right, namely the right to freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution of Sierra Leone Act No.6 of 1991 as well as an attack on his profession and all of ours including you.”

The letter calls on the Bar Association to protect Lawyer Ady Macauley like any other member irrespective of his political affiliation, which is why, it states, the law firm B&J Partners thought it necessary to bring the issue to the attention of the Bar because Lawyer Macauley “was a past executive member of the Sierra Leone Bar Association and has been a member for over fifteen years”.

“In the circumstances,” the letter states further, “we would be obliged if the Bar Association would take an interest in this issue and ensure that the fundamental human rights of our Senior Colleague in Chambers is protected.”