World Courant
The previous chief is accused of treason over his alleged position in a failed coup in November.
A courtroom in Sierra Leone has allowed former President Ernest Bai Koroma, accused of treason, to journey overseas on medical grounds.
Koroma, 70, was charged with 4 felonies early this month for his alleged position in a failed navy try and overthrow the West African nation’s authorities in November.
The Supreme Court docket on Wednesday dominated in favor of Koroma, whose attorneys had requested it to permit the previous chief to journey overseas for medical causes.
The ex-president, who’s below home arrest, shall be allowed to journey to Nigeria for as much as three months, the Justice of the Peace mentioned earlier than adjourning the case till March 6.
“The Excessive Court docket authorized the order, which was handed on to the Justice of the Peace’s Court docket, the place Koroma has appeared because the day the investigation into his case started,” Al Jazeera’s Ahmed Idris mentioned from the capital Freetown.
Chernor Bah, Sierra Leone’s info minister, instructed Al Jazeera that the state “is comfortable to respect the courtroom’s ruling as a result of we imagine within the rule of legislation,” including that Koroma is leaving for medical consideration however that his case nonetheless stays open.
“At this stage the case continues to be alive. It has been postponed,” he mentioned, including that the courtroom’s directions to the attorneys included persevering with to ship updates on Koroma’s well being to the state and the judiciary throughout his absence.
Nigeria had beforehand provided to quickly admit Koroma, which he accepted, West Africa’s most important regional bloc mentioned.
“We all know that the Financial Group of West African States has accomplished its utmost to influence the federal government of Sierra Leone to contemplate releasing Mr Koroma to depart the nation – in all probability into exile – however once more, the courtroom mentioned he’s going to be checked on medical grounds. ”, mentioned Idris.
Tried coup
On November 26, gunmen launched a sequence of assaults in Sierra Leone, breaking right into a key armory, navy barracks and prisons, liberating round 2,200 prisoners. Greater than twenty folks have been killed within the violence.
The federal government later mentioned it was a foiled coup, led primarily by Koroma’s bodyguards. They summoned the ex-president for questioning in early December and accused him of treason on January 3.
Koroma condemned the assaults in a press release shortly after they passed off and denied any involvement. His attorneys name the accusations “fabricated” and a part of a “political vendetta.”
There are considerations that Koroma’s indictment may inflame tensions arising from the controversial elections in June, which noticed President Julius Maada Bio re-elected for a second time period.
The principle opposition candidate rejected the outcomes and worldwide companions questioned the vote.
Two months after Bio was re-elected, police mentioned they’d arrested a number of folks, together with senior navy officers, who deliberate to make use of protests “to undermine peace.”
Koroma was president of Sierra Leone for eleven years till 2018. Though he formally retired from politics, he stays an influential determine inside his political celebration.
Twelve different folks have been additionally charged with treason in reference to the failed coup, together with former police and correctional officers and a member of Koroma’s safety service.
Below Sierra Leone’s penal code, anybody discovered responsible of treason may face life imprisonment.
Sierra Leone courtroom permits ex-president Koroma to go overseas for medical care | Courts Information
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