Liberia’s Supreme Court Hears Arguments Challenging Murder Conviction of Former Chief Justice and Family Members
In a stunning turn of events, the Supreme Court of Liberia has expressed receptiveness to arguments challenging the murder conviction of former Chief Justice Gloria Musu-Scott and three family members. The four were convicted in December 2023 of the stabbing death of Musu-Scott’s niece, Charloe Musu, and found guilty of conspiracy and making false statements to law enforcement.
During Monday’s nearly three-hour oral arguments, justices raised doubts about the prosecution’s case, questioning the lack of concrete evidence linking each defendant to the murder weapon. The atmosphere was described by legal practitioners as "shocking," with justices pressing the prosecution on the circumstantial nature of the evidence.
Defense attorney Cllr. Bobby Livingstone argued that the prosecution relied on "circumstantial evidence" due to the defendant’s inability to identify the killer. He highlighted the lack of an intruder found at the scene, contradicting the defense’s claims. Impeached Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh, part of the defense team, pointed out the prosecution’s lack of eyewitness testimony, stating that 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 reversal 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.
In a separate development, 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. The government arranged 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, emphasizing that the decision to grant compassionate leave to a prisoner lies outside the president’s jurisdiction.
The case remains under close scrutiny, with many awaiting the final verdict.
