Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Koroma has been charged with treason.

According to a statement shared by the Sierra Leone Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, the former president is being charged for his alleged involvement in the failed coup attempt of November 2023.

Mr Koroma was charged with four offences, including treason and two counts of harbouring fugitives. It was not clear as of press time if he had been arrested.

He was invited for questioning in December following an attack on a military barracks, a prison and other targets in Sierra Leone. The attacks, which the government later called a failed coup, led to the release of over 2,200 prisoners and the death of over 20 people.

President Julius Bio’s administration claimed that the former president’s bodyguards were largely responsible for the attempted coup. Shortly afterwards, Mr Koroma issued a statement denouncing the attacks.