Liberia: Former Chief Justice Scott Indicted by Police for Alleged Murder Cover-Up

The Ministry of Justice has claimed that former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu Scott, and three family members “fabricated a false narrative in an attempt to cover up the brutal murder" of Charloe Musu. 

Musu who happens to be a niece of the former Chief Justice was killed on February 22 with Scott and the police in an initial statement claiming an alleged armed attack by a hired domestic worker. 

Although Scott and her co-defendants have constantly claimed of being innocent the indictment, which is based on the Liberia National Police four months investigation, claimed otherwise. 

The indictment alleges that Scott along with her co-defendants have been charged with murder, criminal conspiracy, making false statements to the law enforcement office deliberately altering evidence, fabricating a false narrative, and showing a callous disregard for human life. 

According to the indictment, the former Chief Justice, leveraged her legal expertise and criminal justice background, after the murder has been “committed to” and reportedly created a story to shield herself and her co-defendants from the heinous act of murder. 

One of the co-defendants, Gertrude Newton, provided a narrative that the police deemed unbelievable, the indictment noted. It claimed that Newton alleged that after the alleged assailant had stabbed Musu in the back, she briefly took “the knife” from the person but was unable to prevent him from continuing the attack, resulting in multiple stab wounds.

“Charloe Musu was subjected to a brutal stabbing, with nine wounds inflicted on her chest, right hand, armpit, and left thigh using a knife that co-defendant Gertrude Newton claimed to possess,” the indictment alleged. “Additionally, her face showed signs of being peeled, which investigators believe could have resulted from exposure to a foreign substance, potentially pepper spray. 

“There are grounds to suspect the use of pepper spray on the victim’s face, as Cllr. Scott acknowledged in her statement to law enforcement that she discharged pepper spray on the supposed assailant’s face.”

Scott, the indictment claimed had informed the police that she used pepper spray on the alleged intruder before escaping through a window.  

However,  the indictment claimed that the former Chief Justice did not escape through a window as alleged but through the backdoor, which key she had. 

The indictment also noted that investigators discovered that Gertrude and another co-defendant, Alice Johnson, returned to the house later that night and took several items in a concealed plastic bag, including the murder weapon or conspiracy evidence. The security guard, Tarr, witnessed them leaving the compound with the items, the indictment claimed. 

“Based on the available evidence and circumstances, it is apparent that the Defendants deliberately altered and concealed the blouse worn by the late Charloe Musu during the violent assault on her before transporting her to the hospital.

 “Additionally, they prevented investigators from accessing a locked room in the house, which had been inaccessible for several days due to Co-Defendant Gertrude Newton's refusal to grant them access. The police were, however, compelled to open the room in the presence of Gertrude Newton’s legal representatives. Bloodstains linked to the deceased were discovered in various parts of the room, along with a torn bra believed to belong to the deceased,” the indictment claimed. 

It alleges that the defendants showed a callous disregard for Charloe's life and instead of promptly taking her to the hospital after the alleged stabbing, “they used the time to create a false narrative, claiming that they had witnessed a man inside the house instead.”

“During that period, they also took the opportunity to switch the blouse worn by the deceased at the time of her stabbing. Nurse Comfort Saydee from Faith Clinic informed investigators that there were no holes or puncture marks on the blouse when the deceased was brought to the hospital.”

 “Co-defendant Gertrude Newton, in an attempt to strengthen their deceitful narrative, deliberately created a delay to allow people to enter the house. She swiftly left the bathroom of co-defendant Scott and was observed entering the room of co-defendant Wisner, where she instructed security guard Zion Tarr to break a window and facilitate their exit,”  the indictment alleged. 

Meanwhile, lawyers representing Scott, and her co-defandants last week petitioned Criminal Court ‘A‘ for bail, citing insufficient evidence provided by the prosecution.

Although murder is considered a non-bailable offense under Liberian law, the defendants' legal team, which consists of over 30 lawyers, argues that based on “the content and narrative of the government indictment,” the evidence put forward fails to substantiate the accusations leveled against them, as such, the court should reconsider their detention.

They asserted that the prosecution's case rests on weak foundations, highlighting the inconsistencies and gaps in the evidence presented. 

According to the defense lawyers, the indictment itself demonstrates that the proof is not evident and the presumption is not great as it collectively charged the defendants for the alleged commission of murder, but failed to indicate who the actual person was among the four defendants that committed the murder.

“In the case of the defendants, the indictment on every face and contents demonstrates that proof is not evident and presumption is not great,” the lawyers argued.  

“The indictment charged the defendants for the alleged commission of murder collectively, and  alleged that an instrument believed to be a knife was used but did not succinctly indicate as to who was the actual person among the four that committed the murder.”

“Based on the content and narrative of the indictment, the defendants are entitled to bail, pursuant to the Criminal Procedure Law Chapter. Under that law, it is provided that all crimes are bailable especially when the proof is not evident and the presumption is not great,” they said.

However, the prosecution has not yet responded to the defendants' lawyers appeal, and arguments to examine the appeal merit and demerit have not been determined.