A magisterial court in Monrovia has ordered the detention of former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott and three of her family members at South Beach, the city’s maximum prison. Riot police, well-armed, escorted Cllr. Scott, Rebecca Youdeh Wilson, Gertrude Newton, and Alice C. Johnson, who are facing charges of murder, criminal conspiracy, and false reports to law enforcement officials.
The charges were filed against them following an extensive police investigation into the murder of Cllr. Scott’s daughter, Charloe Musu. The shocking incident, which occurred in February of this year at Cllr. Scott’s residence, raised security concerns across the country. Initially, the former Chief Justice had reported two separate incidents of armed robbery attacks at her home in Brewerville.
However, Liberian police investigators have determined that the possibility of intruders committing a crime and fleeing from Cllr. Scott’s residence is unlikely. Murder is a non-bailable offense under Liberian law, necessitating the detention of Cllr. Scott and her three accused family members until the conclusion of their trial.
Monrovia City Court Magistrate L. Ben Barco issued the order for their detention at South Beach following their transfer from police custody. The defendants allegedly used a sharp instrument, suspected to be a knife, to fatally stab Charloe Musu. The writ of arrest states that they colluded, connived, and conspired to carry out the multiple stabbings resulting in her untimely death.
According to police investigations, the defendants provided false and misleading information to the police, claiming that an unknown intruder had stabbed Charloe. The writ asserts that their actions were criminal, illegal, and unconstitutional, with the intention to take another individual’s life. Cllr. Scott and the three family members were served the writ, subsequently arrested, and then taken to the Monrovia City Court for further processing before being forwarded to South Beach.
