Sierra Leone charges ex-president Koroma with treason over foiled coup

Sierra Leone's former President Ernest Bai Koroma addresses an international observers briefing on Kenya's general election organised by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) in Nairobi, Kenya August 11, 2022. REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi/ File Photo

FREETOWN (Reuters) -Sierra Leone's ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma has been charged with four offences including treason for his alleged role in a failed military attempt to topple the West African country's government in November, a court in the capital Freetown said on Wednesday.

The court's decision could escalate tensions in Sierra Leone coming after the attempted coup and a contentious election in which President Julius Maada Bio was reelected for a second term in June 2023.