Former President Koroma Granted Bail

By Fatmata Mohamed Bangura

Former President Ernest Bai Koroma who is standing trial for treason, misprision of treason and two count charges of harboring was not in court yesterday.

Bail application was submitted by the defense counsel, Lawyer JFK representing the accused on his behalf before Magistrate Santige Bangura of Court No. 2 Pademba Road in Freetown.

JFK told the court that the accused have been granted bail by Hon. Justice S. O Taylor in the High Court earlier and he was appealing to the Court of Appeal that the court should grant the accused bail for him to do an urgent medical checkup.

JFK asked the court to grant the accused three months bail period in order to undergo proper medical treatment at the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He told the court that there are two shorties who are ready and willing to bail the accused if the bail is granted.

Having made these appeal, Magistrate Santige Bangura asked the states counsel if they have any objection to the request and A. G M. Bokarie who was representing the state said that he agreed with his learned colleague but that his only concern is that three months is too much for the accused, and that he is only going to accept one and a half month.

He also said that the accused should realize that he is on trial and should not play with it.
JFK told the court that the accused have answered to all the calls that the state have made on him and that the accused is willing to face the trials.

The Attorney General, Mohamed Tarawally said that people are giving out false information to the general public that the accused is innocent and that the state did not have any evidence that the accused is guilty of what he had been accused of.

He said that most of the Lawyers are part of this false information and that Bai Momoud Bangura who is the APC Chairman made a video inciting people to protest for the accused.

He said that he will take great actions this time around if anyone is found guilty of this.
In his response, JFK told the court that it is a free world and that in Sierra Leone there is freedom of speech, noting that he is in support of the information that is going around because they have not found the accused guilty of the accusations yet.

Magistrate Santige Bangura told the court that people should refrain from giving out false information to the public and if anyone if found guilty, the person will be sued for contempt.
The matter was adjourned to the 6th March 2024.