In a sudden twist in a high-profile political case tied to a wider government integrity investigation, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has ordered law enforcement to discontinue all criminal proceedings against prominent opposition figure Alberto August. The development comes as the country’s Integrity Commission launches a formal probe into claims brought forward by Oscar Mira, a key political figure whose most outspoken critic is August.
Scheduled to wrap up by the evening of June 30, 2026, the termination of prosecution follows a full internal review of the case file by the DPP’s office. Beyond closing the court matter entirely, the ruling clears the legal path for all property and electronic devices seized from August during the investigative process to be returned to him immediately.
In a first public statement following the DPP’s decision, August, former chairman of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), questioned the prolonged seizure of his personal devices. He confirmed he never denied making the controversial social media post that formed the basis of the initial case against him, leaving him confused over the need to confiscate and hold his phone for an extended period.
“I am not denying making the post, so why do they need to search the phone for the post? It is not like I am denying it now and then they would have to open the phone to search to see if the text is in there,” August said. “So, I don’t know why they took it. Honestly, I don’t know why they took the phone and I don’t know why they are holding on to it for so long.”
The case gained significant public and media traction after revelations of its direct connection to a sitting government minister, intensifying scrutiny of the legal process from the start. This news report is a full transcript of an evening television broadcast, with all comments from speakers transcribed accurately using standardized spelling for Kriol language references.