Freetown, Sierra Leone – 7 August 2026
President Julius Maada Bio on Friday publicly acknowledged the discontinuance of criminal proceedings against former President Ernest Bai Koroma during his address at the State Opening of the Third Session of the Sixth Parliament.
“I acknowledge the decision of the Attorney-General to discontinue the criminal proceedings against former President Koroma. I hope this decision will help reduce political tensions,” Bio said.
He added: “Former President Koroma will remain part of our national history, and I trust he will continue to support Sierra Leone’s peace, unity and democracy.”
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice formally discontinued the case in mid-July 2026 under Section 45 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024. The move ended proceedings that had charged Koroma with treason and misprision of treason linked to the November 26, 2023, attacks in Freetown. Armed assailants targeted military installations, prisons, and other government sites in what authorities described as an attempted coup; Koroma has consistently denied any involvement.
Koroma, who served as president from 2007 to 2018, was placed under house arrest after the incident and later granted bail on medical grounds. He travelled to Nigeria for treatment in early 2024 under an arrangement facilitated by ECOWAS and remained there until the charges were dropped. With the discontinuance, he became free to return to Sierra Leone at a time of his choosing. He subsequently returned for an ECOWAS summit in July 2026.
Parliament endorsed the government’s decision on July 16, 2026, with a cross-party motion expressing support for the discontinuance as a step toward national cohesion, peace, and reconciliation. Koroma welcomed the development, expressing gratitude to President Bio, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, ECOWAS, and others, while reaffirming his commitment to peace, justice, and national unity.
The decision has been widely viewed as an effort to lower political temperatures between the ruling Sierra Leone People’s Party and the opposition All People’s Congress, of which Koroma remains a prominent figure. While some legal observers note that a nolle prosequi does not equate to an acquittal and does not permanently bar future proceedings on the same facts, the government has framed the move as prioritising reconciliation and stability.
