Sierra Leone Drops Treason Case Against Former President Ernest Bai Koroma, Ending High-Profile Prosecution

FREETOWN, Sierra Leone. — Sierra Leone has discontinued criminal proceedings against former President Ernest Bai Koroma, ending a high-profile treason case that placed the former leader at the centre of a national security investigation following what the government described as an attempted coup in November 2023.

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice on Tuesday filed a Notice of Discontinuance under Section 45 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024, bringing an end to proceedings against Koroma, who served as Sierra Leone’s president from 2007 to 2018.

In a public notice, the Attorney-General stated that the criminal proceedings against Koroma had been discontinued and that the matter had been removed from the court’s docket. The notice also confirmed that Koroma’s bail conditions had ended with immediate effect.

The Attorney-General did not provide reasons for discontinuing the case, stating only that the decision was taken under powers granted to the office by Sierra Leonean law.

The decision leaves Koroma free to return to Sierra Leone if he chooses after spending more than two years outside the country, including a period in Nigeria where he travelled for specialist medical treatment under an arrangement facilitated by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

Koroma welcomes decision

In his first public reaction, Koroma said he had received the Attorney-General’s announcement that the proceedings against him had been discontinued “in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Sierra Leone.”

The former president thanked God, his family and those who supported him during what he described as a difficult period.

“My faith has remained anchored in His providence and in the enduring conviction that peace, justice and reconciliation must always triumph over adversity,” Koroma said.

Koroma acknowledged the role played by President Julius Maada Bio, the Sierra Leone government and others whose efforts, he said, were guided by the country’s Constitution and the rule of law.

He also expressed appreciation to ECOWAS leaders, ECOWAS Commission President Dr Omar Alieu Touray and former heads of state for their commitment to peace, dialogue and regional stability.

The former president singled out Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his “exemplary leadership, personal commitment and steadfast support” throughout the process.

He also thanked the Nigerian government and people, as well as Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for the support and hospitality extended to him during his stay in Abuja.

Koroma said Sierra Leone had overcome past challenges by placing national interests above individual differences and called for continued efforts to strengthen democracy, reconciliation and national unity.

“I remain committed to every sincere effort that advances peace, strengthens our democracy and promotes the welfare of our people,” he said.

Lawyers welcome discontinuance

Koroma’s lead counsel, former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, also welcomed the decision.

Kamara said his client had been “formally and fully discharged of all criminal charges previously brought against him.”

He said the discontinuance “serves the interests of national peace, reconciliation, and social cohesion,” describing the Attorney-General’s action as an exercise of lawful authority.

“President Koroma has always respected the judicial process, cooperated fully with authorities, and complied with all imposed bail conditions,” Kamara said.

He added that Koroma was now free to return to Sierra Leone at a time of his choosing and looked forward to contributing to “national peace, dialogue, and development.”

Background to the case

The charges against Koroma arose from the November 26, 2023 attacks in Freetown, when armed men launched coordinated assaults on military installations, correctional facilities and other government institutions.

The government described the incident as an attempted coup against President Julius Maada Bio’s administration.

The attackers targeted the Wilberforce military barracks, Pademba Road Prison and other strategic locations in the capital. More than 20 people were killed during the violence, while nearly 2,000 inmates escaped from Pademba Road Prison after the facility was breached.

Security forces later regained control of the affected locations, and authorities arrested serving and former military personnel, police officers and civilians in connection with the attacks.

Several individuals were later convicted in cases arising from the incident, including former military officer Amadu Koita.

From investigation to prosecution

Koroma, a senior figure in the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) Party, was invited by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) in December 2023 for questioning as part of investigations into the attacks.

Prosecutors later charged him with four offences, including treason and misprision of treason. Koroma denied the allegations and pleaded not guilty when he appeared before the High Court in Freetown in January 2024.

The High Court later granted Koroma permission to travel to Nigeria for specialist medical treatment after medical evidence was presented by his legal team. His travel was facilitated following engagement involving ECOWAS, while he remained subject to court-imposed bail conditions.

Political significance

The prosecution of a former Sierra Leonean president on treason charges was unprecedented in the country’s post-war democratic era and attracted regional and international attention.

The case unfolded amid political tensions following the disputed June 2023 presidential election, which the opposition APC Party rejected, and subsequent efforts by regional actors to encourage dialogue.

The discontinuance removes one of the most sensitive legal disputes between the government and opposition since the election crisis, although the Attorney-General has not indicated whether the decision forms part of a wider reconciliation initiative.

The APC Party had not issued an official statement on the government’s decision by the time of publication.

It remains unclear when Koroma will return to Sierra Leone.

The discontinuance marks a significant moment in Sierra Leone’s recent political landscape, closing a prosecution that brought issues of accountability, democracy, reconciliation and national stability into national and international focus.