Sierra Leone Drops Treason Charges Against Ex-President Koroma Over Coup Attempt

Sierra Leone has dropped treason charges against ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma related to the 2023 attempted coup. Koroma, who denied involvement, was allowed exile in Nigeria on health grounds and is free to return at his discretion.

Charges Against Former President Dropped

Sierra Leone's government has officially dropped all charges, including treason, against former President Ernest Bai Koroma, who was arrested in connection with an attempted coup nearly three years ago. The decision to discontinue the case was made on health grounds, Information Minister Chernor Bah informed the BBC.

Ernest Bai Koroma, aged 72, has consistently denied any involvement in the November 2023 coup attempt, during which armed gunmen stormed a military armoury and several prisons, resulting in the release of nearly 2,000 inmates.

"Enduring conviction that peace, justice and reconciliation must always triumph over adversity,"

Koroma stated in response to the dropping of his case.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Koroma also expressed his gratitude to Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, and the West African regional bloc Ecowas for their support throughout the process.

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Exile and Legal Proceedings

Following his arrest and subsequent house arrest, Ecowas facilitated an agreement with the Sierra Leonean government allowing Koroma to go into exile in Nigeria for medical treatment. The attorney general subsequently filed to discontinue the case and drop all charges against him, according to Information Minister Bah.

"The former president is therefore free to return to Sierra Leone at a time of his choosing and to go about his normal business,"

Bah added.

Background and Aftermath of the Coup Attempt

Ernest Bai Koroma served as Sierra Leone's president for 11 years until 2018, when Julius Maada Bio was elected to office. The attempted coup in November 2023 resulted in the conviction of eleven civilians and twenty-four soldiers in 2024, all of whom received lengthy prison sentences.

The uprising led to approximately 20 deaths and occurred five months after a contested election that saw President Bio narrowly secure a second term. The election results were rejected by Koroma's political party, the All People's Congress (APC). International observers also criticized the electoral process, citing a lack of transparency in the vote count.

Additional Context

The November 2023 coup attempt involved gunmen breaking into key military and prison facilities, creating significant instability in the country. The political tensions were heightened by the disputed election results earlier that year, contributing to the unrest.