Doloquee
Freetown, Sierra Leone — In a recent development, Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma is facing serious charges, including treason, misprision of reason, and two counts of harboring, in connection with an attempted coup. The country’s Ministry of Information and Civic Education officially announced the charges in a statement released on January 3.
Last November, Freetown witnessed a troubling incident where armed individuals raided a military armory and several prisons, leading to the release of nearly 2,000 inmates and the unfortunate loss of about 20 lives. Reports have circulated suggesting that there were attempts by West African leaders to negotiate a deal, proposing Mr. Koroma’s exile to Nigeria in exchange for dropping the charges. However, the Sierra Leone government, particularly Foreign Minister Timothy Kabba, has rejected this proposition, considering it a unilateral move by the president of the ECOWAS Commission.
During the court proceedings, emotions ran high among some of Mr. Koroma’s supporters as the charges were read out. His lawyer expressed astonishment and disbelief, arguing that the charges set a dangerous precedent and were nothing more than a politically motivated vendetta against the former president.
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Since being implicated in the coup attempt, Mr. Koroma has been placed under house arrest. It’s crucial to note that Koroma served as Sierra Leone’s president for 11 years until the 2018 election, which saw President Julius Maada Bio assume office. President Bio is currently serving his second term.
In a parallel development, 12 other individuals, including one of Mr. Koroma’s former bodyguards, are also facing charges related to the attempted coup. Additionally, the former president’s daughter, Dankay Koroma, has been listed as a wanted suspect by the police, although she has not issued any statement on the matter.
The attempted coup took place five months after a disputed election, marked by allegations of transparency issues in the vote count, leading to heightened tensions between the All People’s Congress, led by Mr. Koroma, and the government. The unfolding events are creating a significant impact, casting a shadow over the political landscape of Sierra Leone.
