AYV News, July 24, 2025
The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), through its Armed Forces Endowment and Loan Scheme (AFELS), has disbursed a total of NLe116,573 in Cash Value Benefits to 36 convicted military personnel who were involved in the failed coup attempt of November 26, 2023.
According to Major Yayah Brima, Esq., Acting Director of Defence Public Relations and Information at Defence Headquarters, Cockerill Barracks, the payments were made on May 21, 2025, in accordance with AFELS policy. Each of the convicted personnel received their respective payments in the presence of custodial authorities at the Pademba Road Correctional Facility in Freetown.
AFELS, a public limited company established in January 2022 under the leadership of President Brigadier-General (Retired) Julius Maada Bio, is designed to provide welfare and financial services to serving and former military personnel. Its creation was part of the President’s broader effort to modernize and professionalize the RSLAF since taking office in 2018.
The benefits paid to the convicted soldiers are classified under the scheme’s Cash Value Benefit, which is applicable to personnel who resign, retire or are dismissed including those convicted of crimes. Under the AFELS policy, the benefit is calculated based on the total contribution made by the personnel over a minimum of two years, with an additional 25% interest. Those with less than two years of contribution forfeit the interest.
In addition to the Cash Value Benefit, AFELS also provides a Death Benefit to the next-of-kin of deceased personnel, based on similar calculation criteria. Where contributions fall below the two-year threshold or Le 2,500, a flat payment of Le 2,500 is made to the listed beneficiaries.
Major Yayah Esq emphasized the distinction between the AFELS Death Benefit and the RSLAF Funeral Purse ; a separate benefit significantly improved under President Julius Maada Bio’s leadership from one bag of rice and Le 820 to three bags of rice and Le 12,000.
AFELS also offers soft loans to military personnel, capped at 40% of a soldier’s annual salary with a 10% interest rate, repayable over 12 months. According to AFELS data, this loan facility has significantly reduced the reliance on commercial bank loans among personnel, which previously led to increased indebtedness and lower living standards within the force.
Membership in AFELS is mandatory for all military personnel, who contribute monthly amounts ranging from Le 75 to Le 500. These contributions are invested to generate profits that fund the scheme’s benefits and sustain its interest rates.
The brainchild behind AFELS is Brigadier-General Roland Robin Gbondo, a key figure in the transformation of RSLAF’s financial and welfare systems. He was recently promoted and appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Defence Enterprise Services (DES), the Armed Forces’ new investments wing, further consolidating his role in shaping military welfare and enterprise development.
The payment of benefits to coup convicts, though legally in line with AFELS policy, has stirred mixed public reactions. However, military officials assert that adherence to policy ensures integrity and consistency in the administration of benefits, regardless of the circumstances surrounding a personnel’s exit from service.
