Sierra Leone Drops Treason Charges Against Former President Koroma

Former President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone is no longer facing treason and other charges related to an attempted coup in November 2023. Information Minister Chernor Bah announced on Tuesday that the government has decided to drop all legal proceedings against the 72-year-old.

The charges were reportedly dropped on health grounds, allowing the former president freedom to return to Sierra Leone and conduct his affairs as he sees fit.

Koroma has consistently denied any involvement in the events of November 2023, when armed individuals attacked a military armoury and breached several prisons, leading to the escape of nearly 2,000 inmates. The uprising resulted in approximately 20 deaths.

Following his initial charges and subsequent house arrest, an agreement was brokered by the West African regional bloc Ecowas. This arrangement permitted Koroma to seek medical treatment in exile in Nigeria. He expressed gratitude for the support from Ecowas, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, and Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio during this period.

Koroma, who served as president for 11 years until 2018, stated his “enduring conviction that peace, justice and reconciliation must always triumph over adversity” in response to the case’s conclusion.

In 2024, eleven civilians and 24 soldiers were convicted for their roles in the coup attempt and received substantial prison sentences. The attempted coup occurred five months after a contentious election that saw the incumbent, President Bio, narrowly win a second term, results contested by Koroma’s All People’s Congress.

Source: Nile Post