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Former Sierra Leone President Granted Medical Travel Permission Amid Exile Rumors
Former Sierra Leonean president, Ernest Bai Koroma, has been granted permission by the High Court to travel abroad for medical reasons despite facing treason charges related to a failed coup last November.
The court order allows him to go to Nigeria for a maximum of three months, with a mandatory return to appear before a Sierra Leonean magistrates court on March 6.
There are speculations that Koroma might consider exile in Nigeria if the charges are dropped, and anonymous sources suggest that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) brokered a deal.
The alleged deal would allow Koroma to enjoy the perks of a former president while in Nigeria, a claim supported by a letter seen by the BBC. However, Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister, Timothy Kabba, has disapproved of the proposal, describing it as a “unilateral proposition” by the ECOWAS Commission president.
Tensions have escalated in Sierra Leone following the coup attempt, and some diplomats believe that Koroma might not return from Nigeria, considering the court order as a de facto exile arrangement.
The attempted coup occurred five months after a disputed election, leading to President Julius Maada Bio’s narrow re-election for a second term, which was contested by Koroma’s All People’s Congress. International observers criticized the election, citing transparency issues in the vote count.
