Police Halt SLBA AGM, Cite Security Concerns Over Postponement

The Sierra Leone Bar Association’s (SLBA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) has been postponed following police intervention, with authorities citing security concerns and “circumstances beyond their control.”

The AGM was scheduled to take place at the Bintumani Conference Centre in Freetown, where members of the legal profession had gathered for the Association’s annual meeting and leadership proceedings.

However, the meeting could not commence after lawyers encountered difficulties accessing the venue, leading to the suspension of the planned activities.

Addressing lawyers and journalists at the scene, Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) Sylvester Koroma, Regional Commander for Freetown West, announced that the AGM would not proceed as scheduled.

“For some reasons or circumstances beyond our control, we regret to announce to you that the conference, your AGM, will not be able to hold,” AIG Koroma said.

He explained that the decision was based on security considerations but declined to provide further details on the specific circumstances that led to the postponement.

“For security reasons, there’ll be no AGM,” he told the gathering.

The Regional Commander also raised questions about the process through which approval for the event was obtained and advised members to leave the venue peacefully.

The development has left members of the legal fraternity awaiting further clarification from the authorities and SLBA leadership on the circumstances surrounding the postponement and a possible new date for the meeting.

As of press time, no new date had been announced for the AGM.