MOSCOW, July 23 (Sputnik) – Amadu Koita Makalo, one of the organizers of the attempted coup in Sierra Leone in late 2023, has been sentenced to a total of 182 years in prison, local broadcaster AYV News has reported.
Makalo, known as an opposition figure and former bodyguard of ex-President Ernest Bai Koroma, has been found guilty of state treason and charged with prison terms of 52, 60, and 70 years on several counts, the broadcaster reported on Monday.
Earlier, the Sierraloaded news portal reported that, along with Makalo, a Sierra Leonean court found 11 more people guilty of the attempted coup, including former police and correctional officers. Their terms have not been made public.
On November 26, 2023, the Sierra Leonean authorities imposed a curfew over the whole country after a group of unidentified people attempted to seize a weapon depot in the state’s capital of Freetown. Several large detention centers, including the capital Padema Road prison, were reportedly attacked.
In order to protect civilians, security forces had to retreat, which led to prisons being captured. The attackers kidnapped some prisoners and freed many more. The government forces then overthrew the attackers and secured the city. Koroma, suspected of participating in the attempted coup, reportedly flew to Nigeria in January.