Liberia: Supreme Court to Reverse Ex-Chief Justice Scott’s Life Imprisonment

In a surprising turn of events, Liberia’s Supreme Court justices appeared receptive to arguments challenging the murder conviction of former Chief Justice Gloria Musu-Scott and three family members. Legal experts consider this a potential reversal of their life sentences.

The four were convicted in December 2023 by Criminal Court ‘C’ Judge Roosevelt Willie for the stabbing death of Musu-Scott’s niece, Charloe Musu. They were also found guilty of conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement. However, during Monday’s nearly three-hour oral arguments, the justices raised doubts about the prosecution’s case.

Several legal practitioners present described the atmosphere as “shocking”. Justices questioned the prosecution heavily, particularly on the lack of concrete evidence linking each defendant to the murder weapon.

“It was surprising to hear them ask if all the defendants used the same knife,” said one lawyer.

Another noted, “The line of questioning suggests they might reverse the life sentences based on the circumstantial nature of the evidence.”

Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh directly addressed defense attorney Cllr. Bobby Livingstone, asked, “Did all of them take turns stabbing Charloe Musu?”

The focus then shifted to DNA evidence presented by Dr. Benedict Kolee, the Liberian pathologist. Justices pressed Livingstone to explain if the analysis connected any defendant to the crimes.

Livingstone, representing the defense, argued that the prosecution relied on “circumstantial evidence” due to the defendant’s inability to identify the killer. He further highlighted the lack of an intruder found at the scene, contradicting the defense’s claims.

“The government lawyer basically said ‘since they can’t prove who did it, we hold them all liable,”‘ stated another lawyer, describing Livingstone’s argument as “disturbing.”

Livingstone further emphasized the absence of eyewitnesses in his opening statement. He argued the state failed to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt, given conflicting evidence.

Impeached Associate Justice… Kabineh Ja’neh, part of the defense team, pointed out the prosecution’s lack of eyewitness testimony. He argued the state’s case relied on “conflicting forensic and circumstantial evidence,” ultimately falling short of a conviction.

The Supreme Court’s receptiveness to these arguments suggests a potential overturning of the lower court’s decision. A final verdict is yet to be reached, and the case continues to be closely watched by Liberian legal circles.

Meanwhile, early media reports indicating that Cllr. Musu-Scott was granted compassionate leave by the government, were refuted by the Ministry of Information Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) as false and misleading.

In response to these allegations, the government took proactive measures by arranging a visit to the Monrovia Central Prison (South Beach) with journalists to confirm Cllr. Musu-Scott’s current incarceration status.

During the visit, Cllr. Musu-Scott expressed frustration over the circulation of inaccurate information about her supposed compassionate leave. She emphasized that the decision to grant compassionate leave to a prisoner lies outside the president’s jurisdiction and questioned the credibility of the sources reporting her release. Cllr. Musu-Scott highlighted the continued challenges faced by herself and her family throughout the ongoing legal proceedings.

“Maybe you journalists need to ask the prison guards or the people who are reporting this story to provide you with documentation as to whether or not I and any of my family members have left this place since being incarcerated,” she noted.