Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) Public Relations Officer (PRO) Alfred Kamanda Esq. has resigned from his position and withdrawn from the race for re-election following the disruption of the Association’s Annual General Meeting (AGM).

In a resignation letter addressed to the SLBA President, Kamanda said his decision was taken with “sadness and anguish,” citing what he described as the “show of raw power and abuse” by the Sierra Leone Police after lawyers were prevented from accessing the Freetown International Conference Centre in Aberdeen, where the AGM was scheduled to take place.

Kamanda said the Association had invested resources in organising the event and that members had travelled from across the country, only to be denied access to the venue after police said they were acting on “orders from above.”

He described the incident as an unacceptable interference by a government institution in the affairs of an independent association, saying he could no longer continue serving under such circumstances.

Kamanda also apologised to members who waited outside the venue for hours without gaining access, noting that many had paid annual subscriptions and conference fees to participate in the AGM.

Prior to submitting his resignation, Kamanda had announced that he was no longer interested in contesting for the PRO position or any other role within the SLBA, saying the events surrounding the AGM had influenced his decision.

His resignation comes amid growing tensions within the Association after the AGM was halted by police intervention, with no new date announced for the continuation of the meeting.