The government of Sierra Leone has officially dropped treason and other serious charges against former President Ernest Bai Koroma, effectively ending the legal pursuit of the 72-year-old leader. Koroma had been accused of involvement in a violent November 2023 coup attempt, during which gunmen stormed a military armory and released nearly 2,000 inmates.
While Koroma has consistently denied any role in the uprising that claimed 20 lives, the fallout from the event led to the conviction of 35 individuals, including 24 soldiers.
The decision to drop the charges comes after a deal brokered by the West African regional bloc Ecowas and the Nigerian government, which allowed Koroma to leave Sierra Leone for medical treatment in Nigeria.
Information Minister Chernor Bah confirmed that the attorney general has discontinued the case, granting the former president the freedom to return home at his convenience.
The coup attempt followed a contentious 2023 election, where President Julius Maada Bio secured a narrow victory that was challenged by Koroma's All People's Congress and criticized by international observers for a lack of transparency.
With the charges now dismissed, the government claims Koroma is free to resume his normal life, marking a conclusion to a volatile chapter in the nation's post-election political landscape.
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