Serikali ya Sierra Leone imeamua kufuta mashtaka yote ikiwemo yale ya uhaini—yaliyokuwa yakimkabili Rais wa zamani wa nchi hiyo, Ernest Bai Koroma. Kiongozi huyo alikuwa amekamatwa akihusishwa na jaribio la mapinduzi ya serikali yaliyotokea karibu miaka mitatu iliyopita.
Soma pia Ernest Bai Koroma: Rais wa zamani wa Sierra Leone ashtakiwa kwa uhaini kwa jaribio la mapinduzi
Waziri wa Habari wa nchi hiyo, Chernor Bah, ameiambia BBC kuwa mashtaka hayo yamefutwa kutokana na sababu za kiafya.
Kiongozi huyo wa zamani mwenye umri wa miaka 72 amekuwa akikanusha vikali kuhusika kwake kwenye jaribio hilo la mapinduzi la Novemba 2023. Katika tukio hilo, kundi la watu wenye silaha lilivamia ghala la silaha la jeshi pamoja na magereza kadhaa, na kufanikiwa kuwatorosha wafungwa karibu 2,000.
Kauli ya Koroma Baada ya Kufutiwa Kesi
Akizungumzia uamuzi huo wa kufutwa kwa kesi yake, Koroma alieleza,
"Nina imani thabiti na ya siku zote kwamba amani, haki, na maridhiano lazima vishinde vikwazo vyote wakati wowote."
Katika taarifa yake aliyoisoma Julai 14, 2026, Koroma pia alitoa shukrani za dhati kwa: Rais wa sasa wa Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, Rais wa Nigeria, Bola Tinubu pamoja na Jumuiya ya Kiuchumi ya Nchi za Afrika Magharibi (ECOWAS) kwa msaada wao.
Baada ya Koroma kufunguliwa mashtaka na kuwekwa chini ya ulinzi wa nyumbani, ECOWAS ilisaidia kusimamia makubaliano na serikali ya Sierra Leone yaliyomruhusu Rais huyo wa zamani kwenda kuishi uhamishoni nchini Nigeria ili kupata matibabu.
Kufuatia makubaliano hayo, Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Sierra Leone aliwasilisha ombi la kisheria la kusitisha kesi hiyo na kufuta kabisa mashtaka yaliyokuwa yakimkabili Koroma.
"Kwa sasa, Rais huyo wa zamani yuko huru kabisa kurudi Sierra Leone wakati wowote anaotaka na kuendelea na shughuli zake za kawaida," aliongeza Waziri Bah.
Muktadha wa Kisiasa nchini Sierra Leone
Uongozi wa Koroma: Ernest Bai Koroma aliiongoza Sierra Leone kwa miaka 11 hadi mwaka 2018, pale Rais wa sasa, Julius Maada Bio, aliposhinda uchaguzi.
Hukumu za Kesi hiyo: Raia 11 na wanajeshi 24 walipatikana na hatia ya kuhusika kwenye jaribio hilo la mapinduzi na kuhukumiwa vifungo virefu gerezani mnamo mwaka 2024.
Ghasia na Vifo:Karibu watu 20 walipoteza maisha kwenye vurugu hizo, zilizotokea miezi mitano tu baada ya uchaguzi mkuu uliogubikwa na utata. Uchaguzi huo ulimrudisha madarakani Rais Bio kwa ushindi mwembamba kwa muhula wake wa pili.
Malalamiko ya Uchaguzi: Matokeo ya uchaguzi huo yalikataliwa kabisa na chama cha Koroma cha All People's Congress (APC). Waangalizi wa kimataifa pia walikosoa uchaguzi huo, wakinyooshea kidole ukosefu wa uwazi wakati wa zoezi la kuhesabu kura.
Rais wa zamani Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma
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Sierra Leone's government has dropped its charges, including treason, against ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma, who was arrested in connection with an attempted coup nearly three years ago.
The charges had been dropped on health grounds, Information Minister Chernor Bah told the BBC.
The 72-year-old former president has always denied involvement in the November 2023 attempted coup when gunmen broke into a military armoury and several prisons, freeing almost 2,000 inmates.
Responding to his case being dropped, Koroma noted his "enduring conviction that peace, justice and reconciliation must always triumph over adversity".
In his statement on Tuesday, Koroma also expressed gratitude towards Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the West African regional bloc Ecowas for their support.
After Koroma was charged and placed under house arrest, Ecowas brokered a deal with the government of Sierra Leone, allowing the former president to go into exile in Nigeria and seek medical attention there.
The attorney general had then filed to discontinue the case against Koroma and drop the charges, Bah said.
"The former president is therefore free to return to Sierra Leone at a time of his choosing and to go about his normal business," he added.
Koroma led Sierra Leone for 11 years until 2018, when current President Bio was elected.
Eleven civilians and 24 soldiers were found guilty of involvement in the coup attempt and received long prison terms in 2024.
Around 20 people were killed in the uprising, which came five months after a disputed election which saw President Bio narrowly re-elected for a second term.
The results were rejected by Koroma's All People's Congress. International observers also criticised the elections, highlighting a lack of transparency in the count.
Source: BBC
Soma pia Ernest Bai Koroma: Rais wa zamani wa Sierra Leone ashtakiwa kwa uhaini kwa jaribio la mapinduzi
Waziri wa Habari wa nchi hiyo, Chernor Bah, ameiambia BBC kuwa mashtaka hayo yamefutwa kutokana na sababu za kiafya.
Kiongozi huyo wa zamani mwenye umri wa miaka 72 amekuwa akikanusha vikali kuhusika kwake kwenye jaribio hilo la mapinduzi la Novemba 2023. Katika tukio hilo, kundi la watu wenye silaha lilivamia ghala la silaha la jeshi pamoja na magereza kadhaa, na kufanikiwa kuwatorosha wafungwa karibu 2,000.
Kauli ya Koroma Baada ya Kufutiwa Kesi
Akizungumzia uamuzi huo wa kufutwa kwa kesi yake, Koroma alieleza,
"Nina imani thabiti na ya siku zote kwamba amani, haki, na maridhiano lazima vishinde vikwazo vyote wakati wowote."
Katika taarifa yake aliyoisoma Julai 14, 2026, Koroma pia alitoa shukrani za dhati kwa: Rais wa sasa wa Sierra Leone, Julius Maada Bio, Rais wa Nigeria, Bola Tinubu pamoja na Jumuiya ya Kiuchumi ya Nchi za Afrika Magharibi (ECOWAS) kwa msaada wao.
Baada ya Koroma kufunguliwa mashtaka na kuwekwa chini ya ulinzi wa nyumbani, ECOWAS ilisaidia kusimamia makubaliano na serikali ya Sierra Leone yaliyomruhusu Rais huyo wa zamani kwenda kuishi uhamishoni nchini Nigeria ili kupata matibabu.
Kufuatia makubaliano hayo, Mwanasheria Mkuu wa Sierra Leone aliwasilisha ombi la kisheria la kusitisha kesi hiyo na kufuta kabisa mashtaka yaliyokuwa yakimkabili Koroma.
"Kwa sasa, Rais huyo wa zamani yuko huru kabisa kurudi Sierra Leone wakati wowote anaotaka na kuendelea na shughuli zake za kawaida," aliongeza Waziri Bah.
Muktadha wa Kisiasa nchini Sierra Leone
Uongozi wa Koroma: Ernest Bai Koroma aliiongoza Sierra Leone kwa miaka 11 hadi mwaka 2018, pale Rais wa sasa, Julius Maada Bio, aliposhinda uchaguzi.
Hukumu za Kesi hiyo: Raia 11 na wanajeshi 24 walipatikana na hatia ya kuhusika kwenye jaribio hilo la mapinduzi na kuhukumiwa vifungo virefu gerezani mnamo mwaka 2024.
Ghasia na Vifo:Karibu watu 20 walipoteza maisha kwenye vurugu hizo, zilizotokea miezi mitano tu baada ya uchaguzi mkuu uliogubikwa na utata. Uchaguzi huo ulimrudisha madarakani Rais Bio kwa ushindi mwembamba kwa muhula wake wa pili.
Malalamiko ya Uchaguzi: Matokeo ya uchaguzi huo yalikataliwa kabisa na chama cha Koroma cha All People's Congress (APC). Waangalizi wa kimataifa pia walikosoa uchaguzi huo, wakinyooshea kidole ukosefu wa uwazi wakati wa zoezi la kuhesabu kura.
Rais wa zamani Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma
===============
Sierra Leone's government has dropped its charges, including treason, against ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma, who was arrested in connection with an attempted coup nearly three years ago.
The charges had been dropped on health grounds, Information Minister Chernor Bah told the BBC.
The 72-year-old former president has always denied involvement in the November 2023 attempted coup when gunmen broke into a military armoury and several prisons, freeing almost 2,000 inmates.
Responding to his case being dropped, Koroma noted his "enduring conviction that peace, justice and reconciliation must always triumph over adversity".
In his statement on Tuesday, Koroma also expressed gratitude towards Sierra Leonean President Julius Maada Bio, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the West African regional bloc Ecowas for their support.
After Koroma was charged and placed under house arrest, Ecowas brokered a deal with the government of Sierra Leone, allowing the former president to go into exile in Nigeria and seek medical attention there.
The attorney general had then filed to discontinue the case against Koroma and drop the charges, Bah said.
"The former president is therefore free to return to Sierra Leone at a time of his choosing and to go about his normal business," he added.
Koroma led Sierra Leone for 11 years until 2018, when current President Bio was elected.
Eleven civilians and 24 soldiers were found guilty of involvement in the coup attempt and received long prison terms in 2024.
Around 20 people were killed in the uprising, which came five months after a disputed election which saw President Bio narrowly re-elected for a second term.
The results were rejected by Koroma's All People's Congress. International observers also criticised the elections, highlighting a lack of transparency in the count.
Source: BBC
