A long-running chieftaincy row in Moyamba District took a new twist on Thursday, as Paramount Chief Jibao Russell of Lower Banta Chiefdom appeared in the High Court in Freetown over fresh claims of corruption and misuse of development money.

The case, heard by Justice Alhaji Momoh Jah Stevens, follows a petition brought forward by Michael Margai, who’s continuing the legal battle started by the late Nancy R. Johnny. The plaintiff is asking the court to stop Chief Russell from acting in any official role until the case is over.

At the heart of the matter are serious claims that Chief Russell allegedly misused funds meant to help the chiefdom grow. The money, according to the petition, was set aside for local projects, but the chief has reportedly failed to give any proper account of how it was spent.

The lawsuit falls under Section 13 of the Chieftaincy Act of 2009 and lists five respondents: the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Provincial Secretary of the Southern Province, the Electoral Commission, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and Chief Russell himself.

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Backed by a signed statement from Margai and a notice dated 19th December 2024, the petitioner is not only asking for a temporary hold on the chief’s duties but also wants him permanently removed from office.

The court was shown several documents during the hearing. One of them, marked Exhibit MM1, is the original petition from 29th January 2010 that first questioned Chief Russell’s right to the throne. Another, Exhibit MM2, is a High Court ruling from 9th March 2011, which shows earlier proceedings were held without input from the Law Officers Department. The statement also points out that on 10th December 2024, the Court of Appeal ordered the case to go back to the High Court, this time focusing on the corruption and embezzlement claims.

Lawyer B.J. Reffle, who is representing the petitioner, told the court, “The Anti-Corruption Commission has investigated this issue, and there is evidence that funds meant for the development of Lower Banta Chiefdom were misused.”

He added, “Keeping Chief Russell in office while this case is ongoing could hurt both the process and the community.”

But defending the chief and the other four respondents, lawyer Edward Sarkoh pushed back hard. He submitted a written response on 6th January 2025 and argued that the request for an injunction should be turned down.

He said taking the chief out of office now could cause confusion in the chiefdom. Sarkoh urged the judge to let things stay the way they are until the case is fully settled.

After hearing both sides, Justice Stevens adjourned the matter to 9th May 2025 for the next hearing.