Dropping Criminal Case Against Ernest Bai Koroma Will ‘Reduce Political Tensions’ – President Bio

President Julius Maada Bio has confirmed that treason charges against former President Ernest Bai Koroma have been officially dropped, expressing hope that the decision will help heal political divisions. Delivering his address at the State Opening of Parliament, President Bio acknowledged the Attorney-General’s ruling to discontinue the case, which stemmed from a November 2023 attempted coup that left twenty people dead. He urged all political factions to receive the news with maturity and view it as a fresh opportunity for national reconciliation.
The former opposition leader, who led Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, had consistently denied any involvement in the violence. After living in Nigeria since 2024 for medical treatment under a regional agreement, Koroma was permitted to return home freely following the dismissal of the charges on health and constitutional grounds. He recently returned to Freetown to attend a regional West African summit, marking his first public appearance back in the country in over two years.