Lance Corporal Abu Bakarr Koroma, the 18th accused in the ongoing Court Martial trial involving Staff Sergeant Alhaji Koroma and 26 others, has been declared “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity.”
This verdict came after his reappearance at the Military Headquarters in Freetown on August 20, 2024, following a previous collapse in court due to epilepsy.
On August 8, 2024, Lance Corporal Koroma, also known as Opanday, collapsed during the trial due to his medical condition.
The prosecution, led by Lawyer JAK Sesay, requested that Koroma be separated from the main trial, a request that was granted by Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba, who also ordered medical treatment for the accused.
Today, as the court resumed proceedings, Defence Lawyer Ibrahim Bangura, representing the Sierra Leone Legal Aid Board, applied for Koroma to be found “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity.”
Citing Section 109 of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Sierra Leone Act of 1961, as amended, and Rule 89 of the Armed Forces (Court Martial Procedure) Rules of 2003, Bangura argued that the accused’s medical condition rendered him unfit for trial.
He stressed that the medical evidence, certified by military doctors, was not obtained from private practitioners but from official military sources. This same evidence had previously led to considerations for Koroma’s retirement on medical grounds in 2022.
The prosecution did not contest the defence’s application. Lawyer Sesay acknowledged the clear medical evidence of Koroma’s insanity and agreed with the defence’s position.
After reviewing the submissions from both sides, Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba accepted the medical findings and declared Koroma “Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity.” Koroma had initially faced seven charges, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and mutiny.
This decision comes after other significant verdicts in the trial. Of the 27 military personnel tried, one pleaded guilty to nine charges and received a 30-year sentence, another was acquitted of all charges, 24 were found guilty and received sentences ranging from 50 to 120 years, and one, Koroma, was acquitted due to insanity.
Court Martial President Captain (Navy) Lawrence Jabati has officially dissolved the court, with the next session scheduled for September 2024 to try 13 more military personnel.
