President Julius Maada Bio has publicly acknowledged the discontinuance of criminal proceedings against former President Ernest Bai Koroma, expressing hope that the decision will help heal political divisions and allow the nation to focus on pressing development challenges.

Delivering the State Opening of the Fourth Session of the Sixth Parliament at Tower Hill on Friday, President Bio confirmed the Attorney-General’s decision, made under Section 45 of the Criminal Procedure Act 2024, to drop the treason case against his predecessor.

“I acknowledge the decision of the Attorney-General to discontinue the criminal proceedings against former President Koroma,” President Bio told the House. “I hope this decision will help reduce political tensions, advance reconciliation and enable us to focus more fully on the pressing challenges facing our people”.

The former president, who served from 2007 to 2018 and leads the main opposition All People’s Congress, had been charged with treason following the November 2023 attempted coup, in which gunmen attacked military barracks and prisons in Freetown, freeing nearly 2,000 inmates. Around 20 people lost their lives in the violence.

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Koroma, who has consistently denied any involvement, had been residing in Nigeria since 2024 for medical treatment under a deal brokered by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

The charges against Koroma were later discontinued by the Attorney General on constitutional and health grounds, allowing him to return freely. He later attended the 69th ECOWAS Summit in Freetown on July 19, marking the former president’s first visit since January 19, 2024.

In his address, President Bio stressed that the former leader remains part of the nation’s history and called for unity.

“Former President Koroma will remain part of our national history, and I trust he will continue to support Sierra Leone’s peace, unity and democracy,” Bio said. “I call on all sides to receive this development with maturity and embrace it as an opportunity for continued dialogue and national healing”.

Throughout his address, President Bio emphasized that while political disagreement is natural in a democracy, the nation must stand united against tribalism, hate speech, and violence, which he noted “divide our people and weaken our Republic”. He reminded the chamber and the public that, “Whatever our differences, we are Sierra Leoneans first”.

President Bio urged all political factions, traditional leaders, and citizens to view the dropped charges not as a point of contention, but as a bridge forward.