In the wake of public concerns about the current health and treatment of former Chief Justice, Cllr. Gloria Musu-Scott, Information Minister Ledgerhood J. Rennie, Thursday, June 29, told reporters that the former Chief Justice is in good health and is being accorded all due courtesies.
Cllr. Scott and three of her family members were on last Thursday, June 22, remanded at the Monrovia Central Prison on charges of murder, criminal conspiracy and giving false reports to law enforcement officials in the alleged murder of her niece, Charloe Musu.
Speaking Thursday, June 29, at the Ministry of Information’s regular weekly press briefing, Minister Rennie said the former Chief Justice is well secured. “Special arrangements are also made for her feeding,” the Information Minister said.
Minister Rennie further stated that it was necessary that he gives the assurances because, according to him, “We are hearing all kinds of information.” He did not, however, say exactly what they were hearing to the contrary.
The former Chief Justice and three of her family members had earlier spent a night at a police withholding cell before they were subsequently transferred to the Monrovia Central Prison near Salt Beach in Central Monrovia.
There were speculations that the Police had placed her in a dominant male cell, but those speculations remain unsubstantiated and the police had denied such rumors.
The arrest, murder and other charges and subsequent incarceration of the former Chief Justice remain a topical issue across the country and among Liberians abroad. For others, her arrest and subsequent imprisonment on allegation of murdering a child she has raised for many years is political, while others have disagreed and argued that as per the nature of the case, the law must take its course.
GRAND JURY INDICTMENT
The Special Grand Jury for Montserrado County indicted the former Chief Justice, Cllr. Gloria M. Musu-Scott, Gertrude Newton, Alice Johnson and Ma Rebecca Youdeh early this week, for the alleged crimes of Murder, Criminal Conspiracy and False Reports to Law Enforcement officials.
In the Indictment, the court says the late Charloe Musu was stabbed at least nine times and those stabbed wounds ultimately led to her death.
According to the indictment, on February 22, 2023, at about 10 p.m., Defendants Gloria Musu-Scott, Gertrude Newton, Alice Johnson, and Rebecca Youdeh Wisner, with criminal minds and intent, armed with a sharp instrument believed to be a knife, and pepper-sprayed, willfully, intentionally, purposely, and maliciously inflicted several bodily injuries on the person of Charloe Musu, including her chest, right hand, left thigh, and left armpit, which led to her death.
Background
It can be recalled the home of former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia, Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott was allegedly attacked on three separate occasions by unknown assailant (s) for reasons that have never been established by the Liberia National Police (LNP) and other law enforcement agencies.
On the first and second attacks, Justice Scott alarmed and reported to the LNP and the Ministry of Justice that her home was attacked on two separate occasions, but no items were stolen. The police later admitted to the former Chief Justice’s assertion following public pressure and they had instituted an investigation before the third attack took place that led to the alleged murder of Justice Scott’s niece/daughter, Charloe Musu. There are reports that she was stabbed multiple times by the mystery attacker.
MEDIA HOUSES
Meanwhile, the Information Minister used the occasion to issue a warning to media houses that have not regularized their statuses with the Ministry. He urged them to do so now or risk drastic measures.
According to list of non-compliant media houses released by the National Communications Bureau, radio stations that have not regularized their statuses with the Ministry include, Freedom FM, a pro-government station, Truth FM, owned by businessman and Liberty Party’s controversial chairman, Musa Hassan Bility, Radio Advent, own and operated by the Seventh Day Adventist Church, Banner FM, owned by Representative Abu Kamara, a stalwart of the ruling party, Radio Monrovia, owned by Charles Snetter, a very close associate of opposition figure, former Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, Capital FM, Joy FM, owned operated by representative aspirant Emmanuel Dahn and Magic FM.
Reading the names of the non-compliant radio stations during the Information Ministry’s regular weekly press briefing on Thursday, the Director of Public Affairs, Lawrence Fahnbulleh, said the Ministry will release additional names of non-compliant radio stations on a later date.
Mr. Fahnbulleh said the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism will in the near future inform the public to refrain from doing business with personnel of radio and television stations that do not want to regularize their registration with the Information Ministry.
“We will inform the public to disallow media houses and their personnel to provide coverage to public events if they do not regularize the status of their respective media houses with the Information Ministry,” Fahnbulleh warned.
