Sierra Leone has pressed charges against 12 individuals, including Amadu Koita, for their involvement in an alleged coup attempt on November 26.
Koita, a former soldier and ex-bodyguard of President Ernest Bai Koroma, was known for criticising President Julius Maada Bio’s government on social media.
Arrested on December 4, he is among 85 individuals, primarily military personnel, detained in connection with the events.
The 12 accused, which include former police officers, face charges such as treason, misprision of treason, harbouring, aiding, and abetting the enemy.
Eleven were presented before a judge in Freetown, with one case postponed due to illness.
The suspects, all with legal representation, were implicated in the November 26 incidents when armed attackers targeted military facilities, prisons, and police stations, resulting in clashes with security forces.
The violence claimed 21 lives, and a significant number of prisoners escaped before authorities regained control, categorising it as a coup attempt by elements within the armed forces.
The events raised concerns about potential coup threats in West Africa, a region already grappling with coup incidents in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, and Guinea since 2020.
