Sierra Leone’s Political Party Registration Commission (PPRC) has fined the All People’s Congress (APC) party the sum of NLE120,000 for public insults and provocation against President Julius Maada Bio and First Lady Fatima Bio, in the conduct of their recent activities.

The Commission made this revelation in a letter dated 23 February 2023 and addressed to the new Secretary General of the party.

The Commission stated that they had issued a written warning to the APC Party to desist from peddling public insults and provocation against its opponents, in the conduct of its activities.

They however noted that the warning was not heeded, as APC supporters on the 20th February 2023 and in the presence of its national leaders elect and flagbearer designate, Samura Kamara, hauled public insults and provocative songs against the President and his wife.

“His Excellency the President, as Flagbearer designates of the Sierra Leone Peoples Party, in the upcoming Presidential elections, is a political opponent of your Party, within the meaning of Section 39(1)(c&d) of the Act aforesaid. Your Party’s conduct on the foregoing behalf, is therefore in deliberate contravention of the said section 39(1)(c&d) of the Political Parties Act 2022,” PPRC stated.

The Commission further noted that the persistent infringement of that provision of the Act by the APC Party is extremely concerning to them, as it is not only a recipe for confrontation and a breach of public peace, but it also corrupts public morals.