Former Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma has been charged with four counts of treason in connection with the November 26 attempted coup in the country.
Koroma has denied any involvement in the plot to topple the government, which killed about 20 people.
However, several suspects identified by the government as key culprits in the putsch are close associates of the former president.
West African leaders have been trying to broker a deal for Mr Koroma to move to Nigeria in return for the charges being dropped in what appears as a request for political exile, West Africa Report was informed by local sources.
A letter reported to have been sent by the regional body, ECOWAS, to the Sierra Leonean president, Julius Maada Bio, asked for permission for the “temporary relocation” of the former president to Abuja, the Nigerian capital.
The letter stated that, subject to the approval of President Bio, arrangements would be made to fly Koroma out of Freetown on Thursday, January 4.
The letter also requested that, once Koroma leaves Sierra Leone, the government would “cease all legal and administrative procedures against him; the government of Sierra Leone will continue to disburse to him his benefits as former president; the government of Sierra Leone will secure his residences in the various locations in Sierra Leone; the government of Sierra Leone will consider refunding travel and medical expenses he has incurred.”
However, it is not clear whether President Bio has given his approval to these requests.
Some political commentators in Sierra Leone say ECOWAS has no jurisdiction over a sovereign nation when it comes to such political matters. They point to a similar situation in 2016 when then-president Koroma refused ECOWAS’ request for the reinstatement of his sacked Vice-President.
On Tuesday, 12 other people were charged over the attempted coup, including one of Mr Koroma’s former bodyguards, Amadu Koita.
The former president’s daughter, Dankay Koroma, has previously been named on a list of wanted suspects by police.
