“MY HEART IS FOR PEACE”: SIERRA LEONE’S FORMER PRESIDENT EARNEST KOROMA BREAKS SILENCE AFTER TREASON CASE DROPPED:

Former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma has issued his first public statement after the Government of Sierra Leone discontinued the criminal proceedings against him, ending a high-profile treason case that had gripped the nation for more than a year.

In the statement released from Abuja, Nigeria, where he has been receiving medical treatment, Dr. Koroma expressed gratitude to God and to the leaders and institutions he credited with helping to resolve the matter.

He specifically thanked President Julius Maada Bio, the Government of Sierra Leone, ECOWAS, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and “all those who contributed to resolving the matter.”

The former President also reaffirmed his commitment to peace, democracy, national reconciliation, and the welfare of the Sierra Leonean people.

The Attorney-General discontinued the prosecution under Section 45 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 2024, formally closing charges of Treason and Misprision of Treason linked to the failed attempted coup of November 2023. With the notice filed, bail conditions ceased immediately and Dr. Koroma is now free to return to Sierra Leone at any time of his choosing.

The timing of the statement has drawn national attention. It comes just days before Sierra Leone hosts the ECOWAS Summit of Heads of State and Government, and follows weeks of speculation and behind-the-scenes consultations involving regional stakeholders. ECOWAS had earlier facilitated arrangements that allowed the former President to travel abroad for medical care while the case was pending.

In political circles, Dr. Koroma’s message is being read as an olive branch. By emphasizing reconciliation and unity, he signaled a willingness to move beyond confrontation. For supporters, it marks a return to public life. For critics, it reopens debate about accountability and the use of prosecutorial discretion.

Across social media and newsrooms, the statement has already sparked wide discussion about what comes next — both for Dr. Koroma personally and for Sierra Leone’s democratic journey.

After months of silence, the former President’s words were clear: the legal battle is over, and his focus now is on peace.