Breaking
INTLIran-US tensions escalate with mutual strikes and exclusion zone threatsTRAmazon Cargo Plane Crash in Miami-Dade: 5 Deaths, 5 InjuredDEAfD wins state election in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of CDU, Musk congratulates and receives offerDEFC Augsburg lead the Bundesliga for the first time – coach Baum emphasizes staying on the groundKRPeter Pan Dad Jeon Gyeong-cheol Dies at 64 After Cancer BattleCNIndonesia's Krakatoa volcano erupts, shutting down eight airports, stranding about 170,000 passengersAUBathla Group stands down 213 workers as administrators seek emergency fundingRUCanadian scientists have refuted US claims about the Moon's ownershipJPGartner positions physical AI and agent AI at the peak of 'excessive expectations' in 2026 Hype CycleESThe global extreme right: a farce of power and national caricatureINTLIran-US tensions escalate with mutual strikes and exclusion zone threatsTRAmazon Cargo Plane Crash in Miami-Dade: 5 Deaths, 5 InjuredDEAfD wins state election in Saxony-Anhalt ahead of CDU, Musk congratulates and receives offerDEFC Augsburg lead the Bundesliga for the first time – coach Baum emphasizes staying on the groundKRPeter Pan Dad Jeon Gyeong-cheol Dies at 64 After Cancer BattleCNIndonesia's Krakatoa volcano erupts, shutting down eight airports, stranding about 170,000 passengersAUBathla Group stands down 213 workers as administrators seek emergency fundingRUCanadian scientists have refuted US claims about the Moon's ownershipJPGartner positions physical AI and agent AI at the peak of 'excessive expectations' in 2026 Hype CycleESThe global extreme right: a farce of power and national caricature
Newsgather
All StoriesWorldSportsFinanceTechScienceHealthCultureClimatePoliticsSpace
BackFormer Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma Returns Home After Treason Charges Dropped
Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma Returns Home After Treason Charges Dropped
Developing
SCMP Economy38 minutes agoPolitics1 min readChina

Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma Returns Home After Treason Charges Dropped

ernest bai koromasierra leonetreason charges

Quick Look

  • Former Sierra Leone president Ernest Bai Koroma returned to Freetown on Sunday after treason charges related to an alleged coup attempt were dropped.
  • He arrived with Nigerian ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo and Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu and was welcomed by Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Rahman Swarray and APC party officials.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Ernest Bai Koroma served as president of Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018. He had been cleared to travel to Nigeria for medical treatment but remained there for over two years before treason charges related to an alleged coup attempt were dropped, allowing his return.

Font size

Former Sierra Leone president Ernest Bai Koroma returned to his home country on Sunday, where authorities welcomed him after treason charges against him over an alleged coup attempt were dropped.

The former president, who led Sierra Leone from 2007 to 2018, arrived at the international airport in the capital, Freetown, accompanied by Nigerian ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo and Nigerian Foreign Minister Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu.

He was welcomed by Sierra Leone’s Foreign Minister Mohamed Rahman Swarray and officials from Koroma’s party, the opposition All People’s Congress (APC).

“Today I have come back home and I’m happy,” Koroma told journalists, smiling.

Koroma had been cleared by Sierra Leonean authorities to travel to Nigeria for three months for medical treatment but ended up staying more than two years.

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

  • Ernest Bai Koroma will re-engage in Sierra Leonean politics through the APC.

    Likely · Within months

Open Questions

  • What specific evidence led to the dropping of the treason charges?
  • Will Koroma face any other legal proceedings in Sierra Leone?
  • What was the nature of the alleged coup attempt?

Related Topics

ernest bai koroma
PeopleErnest Bai KoromaOlusegun ObasanjoBianca Odumegwu-OjukwuMohamed Rahman Swarray
OrganizationsAll People's Congress (APC)Government of Sierra LeoneGovernment of Nigeria
PlacesFreetownSierra LeoneNigeria
Topicssierra leonetreason chargescoup attemptolusegun obasanjobianca odumegwu-ojukwuall people's congress
This article was originally published by SCMP Economy.

Related Stories

New Taipei City Councilman candidate of the People's Party went to Beijing to report that Su Qiaochun's company received government funds for profit.
Developing·

New Taipei City Councilman candidate of the People's Party went to Beijing to report that Su Qiaochun's company received government funds for profit.

New Taipei City's Zhonghe District, Xindian District, and Xizhi District City Council Candidates Chen Yijun, Di Shengde, and Chen Yujie of the People's Party went to the Taipei District Prosecutor's Office to report, accusing the then Chairman of the National Development Council Gong Mingxin and Economic Minister Wang Meihua of suspected profiteering, claiming that Su Qiaohui's sister Su Qiaochun was The company he worked for, Kuangshi Intelligent, received an investment of more than 19.99 million yuan from the National Development Fund when Su Zhenchang was the executive director. Later, it received a subsidy from the Ministry of Economic Affairs. The prosecutors were asked to access the investment and subsidy review data to clarify whether anyone knew that the company was not in compliance with the regulations but still released the project.

自由时报
2 min read
Lu Xiuyan: The subsidy for the Central MRT Blue Line has been reduced by nearly half. We hope it will be received in time to avoid delays.
Developing·

Lu Xiuyan: The subsidy for the Central MRT Blue Line has been reduced by nearly half. We hope it will be received in time to avoid delays.

The Transportation Bureau's budget for subsidy for the Taichung MRT Blue Line next year is only 4.5 billion yuan, which is nearly half of the original agreement of more than 9.1 billion yuan. Mayor Lu Xiuyan expressed that she was not worried about the central government not providing money, but was worried that delays in funding would affect the progress of the project. She stressed that Taichung City was willing to bear 56% of the funds and hoped that the central government would allocate timely funds in accordance with the approved proportion to avoid delays in opening to traffic.

自由时报
2 min read
Li Sichuan trails Su Qiaohui by 6.3% in Banqiao and says he will use his political views to win public support
Developing·

Li Sichuan trails Su Qiaohui by 6.3% in Banqiao and says he will use his political views to win public support

A poll released by the New Taipei City Council's Kuomintang group showed that KMT candidate Li Sichuan led DPP candidate Su Qiaohui by 6.7% in the New Taipei City mayoral election, but fell behind by 6.3% in Banqiao District, the most populous district. Li Sichuan said that he would refer to all polls, use his political views to let the public understand his governance and construction, and have the confidence to win support. At the same time, he responded to comments within the party that the election situation is becoming more and more stable like sugar cane.

自由时报
2 min read
Trump's proposal to rename New Mexico a new U.S. state was rejected by the governor
Developing·

Trump's proposal to rename New Mexico a new U.S. state was rejected by the governor

U.S. President Trump proposed renaming New Mexico the new American state, but Governor Grisham vetoed it. She pointed out that the state's name belonged to locals long before the United States existed, and believed that the move was to divert attention from issues such as rising gasoline prices. Trump had previously proposed renaming Lake Ontario to Lake America and the Strait of Hormuz to Trump Strait, but the latter was only hinted a few hours later that it was not a serious plan.

中央社
1 min read
Armed Assailant Charges at Ohio Governor Candidate Amy Acton During Campaign Stop
BREAKING·

Armed Assailant Charges at Ohio Governor Candidate Amy Acton During Campaign Stop

An armed assailant identified as Patrick Havas, 38, charged toward Democratic Ohio gubernatorial candidate Amy Acton at the Canfield Fair on Sunday, injuring several people before being stopped by troopers. Havas was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct and two counts of assault after troopers recovered two handguns and brass knuckles. Governor Mike DeWine condemned the violence as unacceptable.

SCMP Economy
1 min read
Chen Zhuyin issued an open letter explaining the remarks about Chinese identity, and the New Taipei City Election Committee will verify it again
Developing·

Chen Zhuyin issued an open letter explaining the remarks about Chinese identity, and the New Taipei City Election Committee will verify it again

New Taipei City District 11 candidate Chen Zhuyin published an open letter on Facebook, explaining her past remarks about giving up her household registration and health insurance in the Republic of China and settling in China. She also emphasized that she had not actually obtained a mainland Chinese resident identity card and household registration. The New Taipei City Election Committee said it would verify her remarks again.

自由时报
2 min read
More on this topicernest bai koroma