Koroma, who strongly condemned the assault, mentioned he was ‘ready to support the police investigations to the fullest’.
A former president of Sierra Leone has been referred to as in for questioning by police over current assaults that officers say was a failed coup, an official mentioned on Thursday.
The police summoned ex-president Ernest Bai Koroma to its headquarters “for questioning on the failed attempted coup” on November 26, info minister Cherno Bah mentioned in a press release.
Koroma, who led the West African nation for 11 years till 2018, has been requested to seem on the felony investigations division within the capital, Freetown, inside 24 hours, the knowledge ministry mentioned.
His summons follows the sooner arrest of his former safety aide.
Dozens of gunmen launched a brazen assault final month in Freetown throughout which they broke into Sierra Leone’s key armoury and into a jail, releasing many of the greater than 2,000 inmates.
Not less than 18 members of the safety forces had been killed in the course of the clashes, whereas greater than 50 suspects – together with navy officers – have been arrested to date.
Amongst these arrested was Amadu Koita, who labored as a safety guard for Koroma till 2018 when the previous president left workplace. Police on Wednesday launched a picture that they are saying exhibits Koita with a gun in a surveillance photograph captured when the jail was attacked. A bodyguard of the previous president was additionally killed in the course of the assault.
Koroma mentioned that he would honour the police summons, and requested his supporters to be calm, in accordance with a press release issued by his workplace.
“I maintain an open mind and stand ready to support the police investigations to the fullest. Let the rule of law reign supreme in our democracy,” mentioned the previous president who had “strongly condemned” the assault when it occurred.
Though he has formally retired from politics, Koroma stays an influential determine inside his political social gathering and infrequently hosts outstanding politicians in his hometown of Makeni.
There have been political tensions in Sierra Leone since President Julius Maada Bio was re-elected for a second time period in a disputed vote in June. Two months after he was re-elected, police mentioned they arrested a number of individuals, together with senior navy officers planning to make use of protests “to undermine peace”.