Monrovia — The government is set to commence the presentation of evidence in the murder case against Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, former Chief Justice, and three members of her family at Criminal Court 'A'. This development, scheduled for Tuesday, July 4, marks a significant step towards the impending trial. The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has emphasized the need for a prompt trial, underscoring the substantial evidence amassed by investigators against Cllr. Scott and her co-defendants.
While it remains uncertain whether the prosecutors possess additional evidence to disclose to the defense, the initial evidence includes the police investigation and a recorded conversation where Cllr. Scott discusses a robbery at her residence that resulted in the death of Charloe Musu.
The prosecutors' first batch of evidence, classified as unclassified materials, comprises transcripts of witness testimonies provided during the grand jury hearings at Criminal Court 'A,' which delved into the alleged murder of Charloe Musu.
Cllr. Scott and her co-defendants are yet to be arraigned before Criminal Court 'A' and enter their pleas of either guilty or not guilty. The charges leveled against them include murder, criminal conspiracy, and raising a false alarm to law enforcement officers.
The tragic incident occurred on February 22 when Musu, who happened to be the niece of the former Chief Justice, lost her life. Initially, the police stated that an armed attack by a hired domestic worker was responsible for the incident. Despite consistently proclaiming their innocence, Cllr. Scott and her co-defendants face an indictment that contradicts their claims. Based on a four-month investigation by the Liberia National Police, the indictment accuses Scott and her co-defendants of murder, criminal conspiracy, making false statements to law enforcement, deliberate tampering with evidence, fabricating a false narrative, and displaying a callous disregard for human life.
The indictment alleges that Cllr. Scott, leveraging her legal expertise and background in criminal justice, created a story to shield herself and her co-defendants from the heinous act of murder after it had been committed. One of the co-defendants, Gertrude Newton, provided a narrative that the police found implausible. According to the indictment, Newton claimed that after the alleged assailant stabbed Musu in the back, she briefly took the knife from the person but failed to prevent further attacks, resulting in multiple stab wounds.
"The indictment alleges that Charloe Musu suffered 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," stated the indictment. "Additionally, her face displayed signs of peeling, potentially caused by exposure to a foreign substance, possibly pepper spray."
The indictment further reveals that Cllr. Scott admitted to law enforcement that she discharged pepper spray on the alleged intruder's face before escaping through a window. However, it disputes her claim of using a window for escape, asserting that she exited through the backdoor, for which she possessed a key.
Furthermore, investigators discovered that Gertrude Newton and another co-defendant, Alice Johnson, returned to the house later that night, carrying a concealed plastic bag containing several items, including the murder weapon or evidence of the conspiracy. The indictment claims that the security guard, Tarr, witnessed their departure from the premises with the bag.
"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 before transporting her to the hospital," the indictment alleges. "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. Bloodstains linked to the deceased were discovered in various parts of the room, along with a torn bra believed to belong to the deceased."
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The indictment contends that the defendants demonstrated callous disregard for Charloe's life. Instead of promptly taking her to the hospital following the alleged stabbing, they utilized the time to fabricate a false narrative, falsely claiming that they had encountered a man inside the house.
"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."
The indictment further alleges that Gertrude Newton, in an effort to fortify their deceitful narrative, intentionally created a delay to allow others to enter the house. She swiftly departed from co-defendant Scott's bathroom and was observed entering co-defendant Wisner's room, where she instructed security guard Zion Tarr to break a window and facilitate their escape.
