Sierra Leone has discontinued criminal proceedings against former President Dr Ernest Bai Koroma, ending a case in which he faced charges relating to treason and misprision of treason.
The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice filed a notice to discontinue the case on Tuesday, 14 July 2026, under Section 45 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024.
The Attorney-General’s office said the decision was made using powers granted to the office under Sierra Leone’s laws.
Dr Koroma, who served as president from 2007 to 2018, had been granted bail on medical grounds after appearing before the court over charges linked to the alleged November 2023 attempted coup.
The former president had denied any wrongdoing.
Following the filing of the discontinuance notice, the proceedings are no longer before the court and his bail has ended with immediate effect, according to the Attorney-General’s office.
Dr Koroma is now free to return to Sierra Leone after completing his medical treatment or at any time of his choosing.
The case against the former president was part of a wider prosecution following the November 2023 events, when authorities said armed men attacked military facilities and other state institutions in Freetown in what they described as an attempted coup.
The decision to discontinue the case brings an end to a major legal and political issue involving one of Sierra Leone’s most influential opposition figures.
The Attorney-General’s move has been made possible under Sierra Leone’s criminal procedure laws, which provide the office with authority to discontinue criminal proceedings through a formal notice before the court.
