With Closing Argument In The Murder Trial Set For This Thursday
FLASHBACK: Former Chief Justice Gloria Scott (right) being escorted out of the Criminal Court after one of her trial appearances
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia- As state prosecutors press murder and other criminal charges against former Liberian Chief Justice Goria Musu Scott and three other family members in the Criminal Court “A” over the alleged murder of her daughter, Charloe Musu, their fate now rests with Jurors, who are to shortly visit the crime scene.
Judge Roosevelt Willie has instructed the Sheriff of Criminal Court “A” to escort the jurors to the crime scene where the late Charloe Musu was killed at the residence of the former Chief Justice. The Judge has also instructed the sheriff not to allow anyone from both the defense or prosecution to enter the premises except the jurors and if the compound of Cllr. Scott is not opened, he should burst the doors where necessary.
The Jurors are to later decide the defendants’ fate this Thursday, December 21,2023 at 9:30am.
The state indicated Cllr. Scott and her co-defendants for allegedly murdering Charloe Musu on the night of February 22,2023 in her home in the Brewerville suburb of Monrovia, charging them with murder, criminal conspiracy and making false alarms to law enforcement officers. Court Releases Ex-Chief Justice Gloria Scott, But Police Press Criminal Charges Against Her, 3 Others – News Public Trust
But the former Chief Justice and the others have since denied the charges. Ex-Chief Justice Gloria Scott, 3 Others Plead Not Guilty Of Murder On Monday – News Public Trust
Closing Arguments in Charloe Musu’s Murder Trial Set for this Thursday, December 21, 2023 between the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) and lawyers for former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott, Rebecca Youdeh.
The late Charloe Musu
Alice Johnson and Gertrude Newton will on Wednesday make their closing arguments, bringing months of often-explosive testimony to an end, leaving the jurors to decide whether the defendants murder Charloe Musu.
The attack that allegedly caused Charloe’s death
The trial questioned Cllr Scott and her co-defendants’ involvement with the attack at her residence that caused the death of Charloe Musu, with former Justice Scott testifying they have no knowledge of the crime.
But, if it was any intruder that attacked her home with the intend to kill her and unfortunately, it was her daughter that was murdered. Scott, for her part, downplayed the accusations that she murdered her daughter, but argued that it was an intruder, who may have conspired with someone who has accessed to her home, to enter into her residence, with the intention to kill her. Several other persons to include Cllr Jerome Verdier, the former chairperson of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) accused Monrovia City Major Jefferson Koijee of masterminding the attack and murder of Charloe Musu through his operative and chief of patrol Varlee Telleh.
Defense relied on argument it was a male attacker
Cllr. Scott’s defense relied on the arguments that it was a male intruder who attacked the home and murder her daughter. In addition to substantive testimony about the alleged murder, the trial was also dominated by controversy over witnesses and pathologists, as Scott frequently attended the trial seated in the prison Dock, and accused the sta6e of falsely incriminating her to the murder.
The testimony of the former Liberian Chief Justice was supported by that of a pathologist Matthau Okoye, who said, the DNA samples obtained from the fingernails of Charloe Musu proved that it was that of a male and not a female as claimed by the prosecutors. in response, the government pathologist Benedict Kolee disqualified the Okoyer’s scientific findings, and had repeatedly argued that it was female who committed the murder.
Closing argument set for Wednesday
The closing arguments in the trial is expected to take place tomorrow, Wednesday, December 20, wow3. Once they’re over, Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie will instruct the jury to issue a verdict in the case, as the trial is a jury trial ‘meaning the jury will deliver the fact of the evidence before the verdict and the judge will decide the outcome.
Judge Willie will likely levy punishments against Cllr Scott and her co-defendants. If the jury decides in favor of the state, with the prosecutors asking for a lengthy sentence. On the other hand, they are expected to similarly appeal any verdict the jury and judge may issue against them.
If the jury decides in her favor l, she and her co-defendants will walk out of prison, because the state by the law cannot appeal against the jury verdict to the Supreme Court. The trial also included evidence showing how Charloe Musu was stabbed multiple times to death.
Major Jefferson Koijee and his co-subpeona persons to include Varlee Telleh, who is his bodyguard, the GSM company, Telleh’s wife, Moses Wright, the private security assigned to Cllr Scott’s house before the murder and the police inspector General Patrick Sudue all testified to the case.
Background
Lawyers representing the defense and prosecution were told by Judge Roosevelt Z. Willie of Criminal Court “A” to present their legal memorandum on or before Thursday December 20,2023.
During the trial proceedings, state prosecution produced twenty witnesses including general and subpoena witnesses while, the defense produced six general witnesses and five subpoena witnesses.
The case commenced early August of 2023 and it is expected to end on December 20,2033 when jurors shall down their verdict either in favor or against the defendants.
It can be recalled on February 22, 2023, Liberians woke up to the murder case of former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott daughter Charloe Musu who was murdered in the premises of Cllr. Scott.
Cllr. Scott and three of her family members are being held in detention since June of 2023 for the alleged crimes of murder, criminal conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement officers.