Doloquee
Former Vice President Joseph Boakai recently paid a visit to the Monrovia Prison, where former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott is being held on charges of murder, criminal conspiracy, and false reports to law enforcement officers.
Scott, along with three family members, has been incarcerated for nearly two weeks and vehemently denied the charges, maintaining their innocence.
Boakai’s hour-long visit to the prison, conducted under tight security, was aimed at expressing sympathy to the accused and their relatives, including Rebecca Youdeh Wisner, Gertrude Newton, and Alice Johnson, who face similar charges.
No comments were provided to the media by Boakai upon exiting the prison compound, despite numerous attempts.
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The visit occurred against the backdrop of the close friendship between Boakai and Scott, with the latter having rendered legal services to the opposition Unity Party, which Boakai leads.
The visit took place just a day after Judge Roosevelt Willie of Criminal Court ‘A’ denied a motion filed by Scott’s lawyers seeking bail for the defendants.
Judge Willie cited Article 21(d)(i) of the law, which outlines that accused individuals may be granted bail based on the gravity of the crime, except for capital offenses or grave offenses as defined.
Scott’s legal team argued for bail based on the weight of the evidence presented to the Grand Jury of Montserrado County, emphasizing that under the Criminal Procedure Law, all crimes are bailable when the proof is not evident and the presumption is not great.
The charges against Scott and the other defendants stem from an alleged armed robbery attack on Scott’s Brewerville residence on February 22, which resulted in the fatal stabbing of Charloe Musu. While police investigations pointed to the defendants orchestrating the crimes, they have consistently denied the allegations.
The case has attracted significant attention in Liberia, with supporters of Scott expressing concerns over the denial of bail and calling for fair and just proceedings.
Sources close to Boakai have indicated that Scott remains resilient, considering the case to be a “political witch hunt.”
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Despite her incarceration, Scott has received an outpouring of love and support from Liberians across various walks of life.
Former Foreign Minister Olubanke King Akerele and members of the UP National Executive Committee, led by Chairman Luther Tarpeh, have also visited Scott at the Central Prison.
Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, herself a political prisoner in the 1980s, expressed deep sadness and disappointment in the Liberian justice system, suggesting politically motivated prosecutions in Scott’s case.
Critics, including lawyer and politician Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe believes that the government is politicizing the case unjustifiably, arguing that the prolonged investigation indicates a lack of a solid case. Gongloe sees the proceedings as targeted persecution of the Musu family, who are mourning the loss of their daughter.
The case has raised questions about the politicization of justice and the alleged use of a deceased body as evidence, causing widespread concern and calling for a fair and impartial legal process.
