By James Johnson
Popular entertainer Zainab Sheriff has been denied bail during her second appearance before the court on Thursday, 26th February 2026.
At yesterday’s proceedings, the prosecution formally opened its case and called its first witness, Inspector Turay of the Cyber Unit at the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
However, the hearing was briefly interrupted when the defence objected to the witness proceeding. Defence counsel informed the court that the prosecution’s case file had only been served on them in court that same day, emphasizing that sufficient time was required to properly review the materials in order to ensure effective representation of their client.
In response, the prosecution argued that service of the case file had been effected within the eight days stipulated under Section 98(1) of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024. Prosecutors maintained that the defence had not suffered any prejudice and urged the court to allow the matter to proceed.
The defence subsequently applied for a short adjournment to enable adequate preparation, assuring the court of their readiness to proceed on the earliest possible date convenient to the bench. Counsel also adopted and supplemented a previous application for bail.
Delivering his ruling, the presiding Magistrate declined to grant bail at this stage. His Worship held that since the defence had sought an adjournment and the court had not yet heard evidence from the prosecution’s witness, the bail application would not be considered at this time.
The matter has been adjourned to Wednesday, 4th March 2026, for continuation of proceedings.
