Sierra Leone’s ex-Defence Minister charged with treason 

A Sierra Leonean former minister has been charged with treason for walking into the president’s house with a gun ahead of a meeting on coronavirus preparedness.

Ex-Defence Minister Paolo Conteh was charged with 16 counts of treason in a Freetown court on Monday.

The charges were read out to him, but the case was adjourned and he was denied bail.

Mr Conteh was arrested on 19 March following the incident.

He said he had declared that he was carrying a gun to the security officers at the entrance of State House. But BBC reporter Umaru Fofana quotes government officials as saying the weapon was discovered on the ex-minister:

Local media say the constitution states that carrying a gun to a meeting with the president is treason.

On Monday, President Julius Maada Bio unstructed the current defence minister to head a team for coronavirus preparedness.

Sierra Leone is yet to report any confirmed cases of the virus.

BBC