Court Rules Against Former President Koroma in Commission of Inquiry Case, Orders Substantial Repayment

December 14, 2023

In a momentous development related to the Commission of Inquiry, Panel 2, the Court of Appeal, presided over by Hon. Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi, delivered a verdict dismissing all seven grounds of appeal filed by former President Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma against the judge-led Commission of Inquiry.

The panel of judges, consisting of Hon. Justice Fatmatta Bintu Alhadi, Hon. Justice Komba Kamanda, and Hon. Justice Tonia Barnett, unanimously ruled and mandated Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma to jointly and severally refund a substantial amount—Seventy Billion, Two Hundred and Ninety-Four Million, Two Hundred and Sixty-Four Thousand Five Hundred and Twenty-Three Leones, Three Million United States Dollars, and Twelve Million Two Hundred and Sixty-Three Thousand Eight Hundred and Twenty-One United States Dollars.

Additionally, the court issued a final order stipulating that these funds shall be remitted into the Consolidated Revenue Fund within the next 30 days.

This ruling marks a significant setback for the former president, raising questions about the nature of the case and the events that led to this substantial financial judgment.