Sierra Leone’s ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma has been restricted to his home by the authorities after he was interrogated over his alleged role in an attempted failed coup last month.
The government accused Koroma, who ruled the country from 2007 to 2018, of being behind the violent attacks on several military and police facilities on November 26, which left 21 people dead and dozens arrested.
Koroma denied any involvement in the coup plot and said he was not under house arrest, but his movements have been severely limited by the police.
He was questioned twice by the police on Friday and Saturday, and was told to stay within his property until further notice.
“He can’t step out of the house without the expressed permission of the inspector general of police,” Information Minister Chernor Bah said on X, formerly Twitter.
Bah also said Koroma was only allowed to receive visits from three family members and three party members, and that he would have to report to the police again on Monday.
Koroma’s office issued a statement saying that the security measures around his residence were not meant to detain him, but to protect him and the public.
“The security beef up around his residence and the extra caution on traffic into his home are state security determination,” one of Koroma’s lawyers said in the statement.
Koroma, who belongs to the opposition All People’s Congress (APC) party, has been facing a series of corruption allegations since he left office in 2018.
He has refused to cooperate with a commission of inquiry set up by his successor, Julius Maada Bio, to investigate the misuse of public funds during his tenure.
Koroma’s supporters have accused the government of launching a political witch-hunt against him and his allies, and have staged protests to demand his release.
The coup attempt in Sierra Leone was the latest in a string of military interventions in West Africa, where several countries have experienced political instability and violence in recent years.
Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Guinea have all witnessed coups or attempted coups since 2020, raising concerns about the fragility of democracy and security in the region.
