Sierra Leone’s ex-President, Ernest Bai Koroma, is facing charges of treason and three other offenses following his alleged involvement in a thwarted military coup in November.
The charges were officially presented at a court in the capital, Freetown, on Wednesday, further heightening tensions in the country, which has been grappling with political turmoil since a contentious election in June 2023.
The attempted coup in November involved an attack on military barracks, a prison, and various locations, resulting in the release of approximately 2,200 inmates and the tragic loss of more than 20 lives.
The government identified the mastermind behind the failed coup as mostly comprising Ernest Koroma’s bodyguards and subsequently summoned the ex-president for questioning in early December.
In response to the charges, Mr. Koroma’s lawyer, Joseph Kamara, described the legal action as a “dangerous precedent,” arguing that the former head of state, who served democratically, was being targeted in a politically motivated vendetta.
The charges against him include treason, misprision of treason, and two counts of harbouring. The former president, standing in the dock as the charges were read, was granted bail by a high court on Wednesday, with restrictions confining him to his home in the capital. The case has been adjourned until January 17.
Sierra Leone, still recovering from a devastating civil war that spanned from 1991 to 2002, witnessed heightened tensions after President Julius Maada Bio’s controversial re-election.
The opposition, along with international partners such as the United States and the European Union, questioned the election results, contributing to the country’s fragile political atmosphere.
In a surprising turn of events, a letter from West Africa’s regional bloc, ECOWAS, dated Tuesday, revealed that Nigeria had offered to host Ernest Koroma temporarily, an offer reportedly accepted by the former president.
Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Timothy Kabba, however, rejected the proposal, stating that it did not accurately reflect recent discussions between President Bio and an ECOWAS delegation in Freetown.
Twelve other individuals, including former police and correctional officers, as well as a member of Koroma’s security detail, have also been charged with treason in connection to the foiled coup, as announced by the government on Tuesday.
