PHOTO: Defendant Moses Mlarmah after court trial
ZWEDRU, Liberia- Three of state prosecutor witnesses have been testifying in the murder case of a commercial motorcyclist in the southeastern Maryland County.
The testimonies on behalf of the state kicked off on Tuesday, May 31,2022, at the 7th Judicial Circuit Court here in Grand Gedeh County.
Those who testified are Florence Toe, Moses Doe and police officer, Jimmy Kayor.
Commercial motorcyclist and student Mordacious Nyema’s murder sparked a wave of violent protests, leading to burning and destruction of properties, including the Harper Central Prison.
The trial is presided over by the resident Judge George S. Wiles of the 7th Judicial Circuit Court in Zwedru City, Grand Gedeh County.
The trial was expected to be heard during the August A.D 2021 term of court but it was deferred to the November A.D term of court but the production of witnesses didn’t materialize after prosecution applied all efforts.
During her testimony, witness Florence Toe told court and jury that she is a business woman and she has been living in Bassesken, Pleebo sodaken district.
Witness Toe while on the direct said, on March 25,2021, at the afternoon hours, she was at her shop when defendant Moses Mlarmah came to her shop to ask for a local alcoholic beverage, kalawo bitter. And she said yes and defendant Mlarmah asked how much was for it, she responded that it is sold for L$100.
“But when he approached me to pay for the kalawo bitter,” she told the court that she saw a blood stain on his booth and she began to ask him for his name and father name.
The defendant called his name to be Moses and his father name to be Adolphus.
According to her, the defendant paid for two bottles of kalawo bitter and drank the both on the spot but the manner in which he drank the kalawo bitter, got her concern and asked while you drink the kalawo bitter like that as if you are frustrated.
Being so concern about the blood steam found on his booth, he continues to asked him but the defendant said it was cow baby he killed.
Not being still satisfied, she went asking for his other neighbors whether they know the father whose name he called but some said yes and others said no.
Witness Toe added that while the defendant got on his motorbike and he was about to leave, one of the men in her shop known as Moses Doe began to stop him but continued to move on when Moses Doe ran after him and caught him and began to question him and while they were questioning him, others came around to show concern.
She narrated that at first defendant Moses Mlarmah said he killed cow and later he said he killed cow baby but she said whether cow or cow baby, we really want to see where the cow was killed but the defendant looking for escape route, said, he didn’t have gasoline but she witness Toe insisted that she could provide gasoline but we want to see where this cow was killed.
In so doing, she collected three boys to add on defendant Mlarmah to go locate where he killed the baby cow but when they got to where he claimed the cow was killed, they didn’t see any cow but rather human being and they returned to the town and informed her that it was human being the defendant has killed.
After which they he was turned over to the police.
However, the public defender wave cross examination.
State prosecutors second witness Moses Doe took the stand and testified that he was being informed about a blood steam incident on defendant Moses Mlarmah booth by madam Florence Toe.
After being informed about the blood steam, he ran behind Moses Mlarmah to question him about the blood steam found on his booth and after thoroughly questioning him, he said it was cow baby he killed.
Witness Doe in his testimony said he wasn’t satisfied with his answer, but actually wanted to see the cow himself.
But he added:
“While we were arguing, the town chief came and joined us to question him, but he insisted that it was cow so we agreed to follow him to see the cow he has killed because we have law in the area concerning the killing of cattle and to see how we could resolve it with the owner.
“Then the three of us present in the town got on the motorbike with him to take us to where has killed and when we got the first intersection, he took us to different directions and we didn’t see any cow.
“After he failed to take us to the wrong direction, it ignored me and I took his motorbike keys and the cutlass he used to commit the act and he immediately succumbed to my pressure and called me aside that he wanted to tell me a secret but he told the others to wait for him far away from us. He told me that he has US$1,000 to give me to bury the secret but he (witness Doe) asked him which secret is that and let us see the cow first you killed then we can talk about the secret later,” the witness testified.
“The secret is, we killed a young man earlier today and his body is the one you are seeing behind the palm tree there covered with a grass. I shouted and said ah, that human being business you talking so but defendant Mlarmah told him let it remain between us and don’t tell the other two people who we left waiting for us.”
“According to him, the walked further toward the body and the defendant asked him to remove the grass from over the body but he said no and asked the defendant to do so before he shift the crime on him and defendant Mlarmah removed the grass from over the body and he saw a chopping mark on the victim’s neck and laying in a pool of blood.”
“After seeing the victim’s body, we began to go back to where we came from and on our way, I saw two tin of red oil, one branch of banana head and a tin of water and I asked him what were those things doing there, he explained that it was those things they went for when they killed the deceased. I decided not to keep it as a secret because it was a big matter and told my other friends who went along with me that it wasn’t cow the defendant killed but rather human being. I also convinced him for the other two men to join us to go see the body for themselves and we all went there and saw the body they were convinced that it was human being and they took him to town and turned him over to the police and they took the police to the crime scene. The police took the body and us to the police station and took statements from us.”
Witness Doe identified Moses Mlarmah and pointed at him in court and witness identified the defendant motorbike.
The defense lawyer again waved cross examination.
Prosecution third witness officer Jimmy Kayor of the Liberia national police and chief investigator at the Maryland County police detachment.
He testified that on March 25,20221, he was at the police headquarters in Pleebo and received a call from Bassesken, Pleebo district Maryland County that defendant Moses Mlarmah was caught after killing victim Modacious Nyema.
By that call, police along with medical practitioners proceeded at Bassesken and upon their arrival, citizens turned over defendant Moses Mlarmah along with a motorbike and the murder weapon(cutlass).
Officer Kayor said the defendant was picked up by the Liberia national police and they all proceeded at the crime scene and when they got at the crime scene, the body of victim Modacious Nyema was laying behind the palm tree where they saw Mark on his neck and forehead.
According to him, pictures were taken, medical practitioners examined the body and pronounced victim dead and they took the body to the two brothers funeral home and on the same crime scene, they saw two containers of red oil, two banana heads and a bottle of water were taken to the police station for investigation.
During the course of the investigation, defendant Mlarmah admitted to the allegation by killing the victim and named his accomplices which include Leo Williams, Jeremiah Appleton alias open zipper and Francis Kla Nyema and they were all arrested and taken to the police station for investigation but they all denied the allegation.
He added that statements were taken from the defendants and they were charged with murder, armed robbery and criminal conspiracy and forwarded to court.
Again the defense lawyer waved cross examination and informed court that it waved legal final argument into the proceedings since the defendant has pleaded guilty and beg court to pardon the defendant during the sentencing even those the jurors hasn’t hand down verdict.
In the same vein, state prosecutors also waved legal final argument into the case and requested to give the defendant a maximum sentence to serve as a deterrence would be killers.
Meanwhile, the case is expected to come to an end on June 1,2022 to continue with the rest of the defendants who pleaded not guilty after their indictment was read to them.
The state is being represented by Assistant Justice Minister Wesseh A. Wesseh and E. Wilkins Nah assigned County attorney for Grand Gedeh County.
While the defendant is being represented by office of the public defense Atty. Rodney O. Moses.