Sierra Leone’s government has dropped charges, including treason, against former president Ernest Bai Koroma, who was arrested in connection with an attempted coup nearly three years ago.

The charges were dropped for health reasons, Information Minister Chernor Bah told the BBC.

The 72-year-old former president has always denied involvement in the November 2023 coup attempt, when armed men stormed a military arsenal and several prisons, freeing nearly 2,000 inmates.

In response to the abandonment of his case, Koroma highlighted his “enduring conviction that peace, justice and reconciliation must always triumph over adversity.”

In his statement on Tuesday, Koroma also expressed gratitude to Sierra Leone President Julius Maada Bio, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu and the West African regional bloc Ecowas for their support.

After Koroma was charged and placed under house arrest, Ecowas negotiated a deal with the Sierra Leone government, allowing the former president to go into exile in Nigeria and seek medical care there.

The attorney general then filed a request to discontinue the case against Koroma and drop the charges, Bah said.

“The former president is therefore free to return to Sierra Leone at any time of his choosing and continue with his normal activities,” he added.

Koroma led Sierra Leone for 11 years until 2018, when current President Bio was elected.

Eleven civilians and 24 soldiers were found guilty of participating in the coup attempt and received long prison sentences in 2024.

About 20 people were killed in the uprising, which came five months after a disputed election in which President Bio was narrowly re-elected for a second term.

The results were rejected by the Congress of all the people of Koroma. International observers also criticized the elections, highlighting the lack of transparency in the count.