Liberia: Supreme Court to Decide Koijee’s Appearance in Court

The Supreme Court is poised to hear arguments regarding the potential appearance of Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee, at Criminal Court ‘A’ to testify in the ongoing murder trial in connection to the death of Charloe Musu.

The high court has to decide whether Koijee's call log should be subpoenaed and if he should be compelled to testify in relation to the alleged murder of Charloe Musu on February 22, 2023. In addition to Koijee, similar arguments will be entertained for the wife of Koijee's bodyguard Varlee Telleh, as well as Moses Wright, the private security at former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott's home before Charloe’s death. Another person is Mohammed Keita, who is believed to have a connection with Koijee.

The involvement of the Supreme Court was prompted after Judge Roosevelt Willie of Criminal Court 'A' denied the defense lawyers' applications to have Koijee and his alleged accomplices testify. The defense is also seeking a writ of certiorari against Judge Willie’s decision and requesting a review and correction by ordering him to subpoena the testimonies of those named in the applications.

In his denial decision, Judge Willie stated that the defense lawyers' requests to subpoena Mayor Koijee and the others lacked specificity, evidence, or disclosure of their motive. He also denied a similar application for the GSM companies to produce the call logs for Koijee and his co-subpoenaed persons.

The defense’s denied application stated that Koijee is expected to appear and testify regarding his ownership of two separate mobile numbers, as well as a number believed to be owned by Mohammed Keita.

Willie likewise denied a similar application for the GSM companies to produce the call logs for Koijee and his co-subpoenaed persons.

According to the denied application, Koijee is to appear and testify to two separate mobile numbers 0776407969 and 0886407291 owned by him, and 0770430291 believed to be owned by Mohammed Keita 

These numbers, the defense argued, were used by the owners to communicate with Moses Wright, Scott’s security on February 21, 2023, the eve of the day Charloe Musu was allegedly murdered in the compound of Cllr. Scott.

As for Moses Wright, the application said, he is to testify to the calls that he allegedly used his own number 0775-711-210, to communicate with the number 112001407, which was also called between the period of the incident, February 20, to February 24, 2023.

According to the defense, the number was used by Telleh to contact both Mohammed Keita and Moses Wright on February 21, during the night Charloe Musu was allegedly murdered.

These numbers were allegedly used to communicate with Moses Wright, Scott’s security, on the evening of February 21, 2023, the day before Charloe Musu was allegedly murdered. As for Moses Wright, the application stated that he is to testify about the calls made from his number during the period of the incident, from February 20 to February 24, 2023.

Telleh’s wife, whose identity was not disclosed, is also involved because her husband testified that he used his mobile number and another number registered in his name but managed and used by his wife to contact both Mohammed Keita and Moses Wright on the night of Charloe Musu’s alleged murder.

Judge Willie dismissed these allegations, calling the defense lawyers’ efforts a “fishing expedition”. He stated that if the numbers and physical evidence were to exist, the defense should have subpoenaed the GSM companies or presented the physical evidence in their possession to prove that Mohammed Keita was present during the incident leading to Charloe Musu’s murder.

The judge ruled that inviting these individuals to testify would be self-incrimination, which is not allowed by law. These are some decisions that the Supreme Court will be reviewing and possibly correcting if necessary.