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00:00 Sierra Leone's ex-president, Ernest Baikoroma, has been charged with treason, a court in
00:06 the capital Freetown said on Wednesday.
00:08 The former president was being investigated by police in relation to a failed military
00:13 attempt to topple the West African country's government in November.
00:17 Gunmen attacked military barracks, a prison and other locations in Sierra Leone on November
00:22 26.
00:23 They freed about 2,200 inmates and killed more than 20 people.
00:28 Authorities later said that it was a foiled coup led mostly by Koroma's bodyguards.
00:33 Koroma, who condemned the attacks in a statement shortly after they happened, was summoned
00:37 for questioning in December as part of the police investigation.
00:41 On Wednesday, the charges were read out to the former president as he stood in the dock
00:45 and some of his supporters cried in the courtroom.
00:48 Another 12 people have been charged with treason, including Koroma's security detail.
00:53 That's according to the government on Tuesday.
00:55 The accused, which included ex-police and correctional officers, were arraigned before
01:00 a magistrate in the capital Freetown on Tuesday, the information ministry said in a statement.