By Umaru Fofana
FREETOWN (Reuters) – A military court in Sierra Leone has sentenced 24 soldiers to long prison terms for their roles in a failed attempt to topple the president’s government Julius Maada Bio November last year.
The verdicts were read out in court late on Friday and the judge handed out prison terms of between 50 and 120 years to those convicted.
They were among 27 men court-martialed for taking part in the Nov. 26 coup attempt that saw gunmen attack military barracks, two prisons and other locations, freeing about 2,200 prisoners and killing more than 20 people
The sentence follows the jailing in July of 11 civilians and police and prison officials for their role in the uprising.
A seven-member military jury found most of the court-martialed soldiers guilty by unanimous verdict after hours of deliberations. The men faced a total of 88 charges including mutiny, murder, aiding the enemy and theft of public or official property.
All but one of those enlisted were ordinary soldiers. A lieutenant colonel was found guilty and received the longest prison term of 120 years.
Before the judges handed down the sentences, Judge Advocate Mark Ngegba – himself a former military officer – said “when we reach this conclusion for sentences, it sends a message of zero tolerance for such an act in the military”.
Of the remaining three, one was found not guilty, another was previously sentenced due to his guilty plea, and the trial of the third will be concluded at a later date.
Family members of the convicted wailed inside the court as the verdicts were read out.
The failed attempt followed an election that President Bio narrowly won to secure a second term. His victory was contested by the main opposition party APC, while some local and international observers also questioned the transparency of the vote.
(Editing by Alessandra Prentice and Clelia Oziel)