ALBAWBA - Former high-profile military deputy Sadiba Koulibaly has died in prison, just days after being sentenced by the court, raising concerns surrounding the cause behind his death.
The Ministry of Justice in Guinea released a statement confirming the death of Koulibaly. Prosecutors at a military court said in a statement that he died on June 24.
An autopsy ordered by the prosecutors found his death "could be attributable to severe psychological trauma and prolonged stress" causing a heart attack, the statement added.
Koulibaly's lawyer spoke to AFP, saying that he believes the reason behind the army deputy is "anything but natural causes". He said that Koulibaly's healthy and calm" and had not complained of any health problems since his arrest on June 4.
He said Koulibaly was held in a secret location and the authorities "refused" to let his defense team contact him.
On June 14, Koulibaly was sentenced to five years in jail by a military court, after being prosecuted for desertion and weapons offenses. He was second-in-command to junta leader Mamady Doumbouya during the 2021 coup that brought them to power.
After the September 2021 coup, Koulibaly was appointed the Guinean army's chief of staff, a post he held until May 2023.
