27 soldiers have appeared before a court martial today Monday, 8th January 2024. The military personnel face 88-count charges linked to mutiny to overthrow President Julius Maada Bio’s government, failure to suppress mutiny, aiding the enemy, communicating with the enemy, stealing of public or service property, fraudulent misapplication of public or service property, and murder.
Few selected journalists were allowed access to the proceeding.
According to BBC’s Umaru Fofana, “no pleas were taken from the accused because, before the charges could be read out to them [the accused soldiers], one of them fell ill in the court and was taken away”.
The case was adjourned to Wednesday.
Former President Ernest Bai Koroma has also been indicted. He appeared in court last Tuesday and will again appear in court on 17th January 2024. The case of another set of inductees comes up tomorrow, 9th January 2024.
On 26th November last year, the Government of Sierra Leone disclosed that a group of unidentified individuals attacked the Wilberforce Military Barracks in the capital Freetown, the central prison, and some police stations in the capital. The situation caused the release of prisoners, instability, and several deaths.
The government says it was a coup attempt to unseat President Bio.
