I raised the alarm in vain

Liberia’s former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria Musu-Scott says she raised the alarm about the deadly attacks and threats against her in vain, giving a painful account of how criminals gruesomely murdered her daughter Charloe Musu.

“We are also baffled by what seems redundant, the deployment of Police after we have been forced in a situation we can never forget,” the former Maryland County Senator said in a statement released Saturday, 25 February 2023.

On Wednesday night, 22 February 2023, criminals alleged to be armed robbers invaded Cllr. Scott’s Brewerville residence and gruesomely murdered her daughter Charloe through multiple stabbings.

Before Charloe’s murder, Cllr. Scott said her home had been attacked twice in a row, but the government did not lift a finger to prevent the third attack.

“We are however, inclined to believe that had any other government official’s premises been attacked twice and alarmed, the government would have taken action to avert what happened to us,” said Cllr. Scott. 

“But it is for the public to judge this and other murders which have happened in our country.”

She noted that the state / Police must protect all citizens regardless of social strata, political affiliation or belief, or religion. But she said she alarmed about the deadly attacks and threats in vain.

Former Chief Justice Scott said Charloe was a prospective graduate of privately-run Starz University College, a computer science institution based in Sinkor, a suburb of Monrovia. 

The former Chief Justice said the attackers also made attempt on her life, stabbed Alice Johnson, and wounded Gertrude Newton.

She informed the public and the International Community that the government was made duly aware through the Police Depot in Brewerville, and the Attorney General and Minister of Justice of the Republic of Liberia after the first, second, and even the third attacks.

She also rejected the police’s account that her contractor may have carried out the attack.

“Let us make it clear that when these two previous attacks took place, there were no contractors and interestingly the attackers did not take any valuables,” said Cllr. Scott. 

She narrated that on Thursday, 23 February 2023, less than 24 hours after the assassination attack at her Brewerville residence, the government through the Liberian National Police (LNP), issued a statement insinuating that the assassin might have been a domestic worker.

She said the police made the insinuation only because there had been hired electricians working in her house on that fateful day.

But Cllr. Scott insisted that there were two initial attacks on the 8th and 9th of February 2023, two nights in a row, which were reported to the Police.

She said the attackers searched every document they could lay hands on, giving her reason to believe that the attacks which resulted in the death of a promising young woman were also meant to recover some documents they perceive or believe she had in her possession. 

“They also disabled some systems in the former Chief Justice’s car, which from all indications appeared to have been another means of carrying out their criminal plan,” the statement said. 

To make the attacks seem like a burglary, Cllr. Scott said the criminals took away a 25kg bag of rice, adding that this suggests to her that the “Police Knew the facts even before conducting the investigation.”

“It is important to note that since the third attack, gruesome murder and taking away of former Chief Justice Scott’s personal laptops and phones, which again was reported to the Police on Wednesday between 10 to 11 pm, no arrest has been made,” the statement details. 

Cllr. Scott continued that when the police arrived on the scene, they took away the two Private Security officers and a male family member of hers called Uncle Chumu. 

Following the last two attacks, she said Uncle Chumu, seeing that government did not lift a finger to provide any form of protection for her and the family had decided to be spending the nights with her to help keep watch along with the Private Security. 

“These three men, to the best of our knowledge, are still in Police custody,” she Cllr. Scott.

On Friday, she said, police spent several hours with ‘our son’ Godson Kollie at their 16th Street residence, saying they (Police) were taking a statement from him. 

After their many hours of interview with Godson, she said it was then that they asked the Electricians (Contractors) who had gone to 16th Street to receive their pay to go along with them to the National Police Headquarters.

“Our family’s biggest question is “What has Former Chief Justice Scott and the Musu Family done to warrant all this?” 

“We firmly call on the government to investigate this and other murders and bring the perpetrators to justice. We will not hesitate to enlist the help of the International Community through the diplomatic missions to ensure that this is not swept under the carpet,” the statement said.

In their grief, the Chief Musu family extends thanks and appreciation to the Almighty God and the people of Liberia for the massive show of support, solidarity, and prayers.

“As a family, even in the worst of times, we still remain grateful to God. The family particularly appreciates the role of the Liberian media in flagging this matter from the very first and second attacks on us even though no action taken until the worst befell us,” the family said.

They said they remain ever grateful to scores of citizens, friends, sympathizers, professional colleagues, organizations, and current and former officials of government and diplomatic missions here and outside of the Liberian borders who have visited, called, texted them, or made public condemnation over the incidents.

The Musu Family thanked Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Gyapay Yuoh, the Associate Justices, Judges and Magistrates, and Liberian Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.

They also thanked House Speaker Bhofal Chambers, members of the House of Representatives, Senators Steve Amadu Zargo, Abraham Darius Dillon, Jonathan Boye Charles Sogbie, Commany Wesseh, and the Maryland County Legislative Caucus and citizens for their support.

They further appreciated former Chief Justice Francis S. Korkpor, Sr., Liberia National Bar Association president Cllr. Sylvester D. Rennie, and members of the Bar, Atty. Philomena T. Williams, President, Executives, and members of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia – AFELL, and Rev. Dr. Samuel Reeves, President, Executives, and members of the Liberia Council of Churches – LCC.

Additionally, the Musu Family thanked the UN Women, Amb. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Political Leader, National Chairman, Executives and members of the Unity Party – UP, Senator Nyonblee Karngar-Lawrence, Political Leader, Executives and members of the Liberty Party – LP, Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, Political Leader, National Chairman, Executives, and members of the Liberia People’s Party – LPP.

They thanked Rev. David GB Kiamu, Political Leader, National Chairman, Executives and members of the Democratic People’s Party of Liberia – DPPL, and Cllr. Frank Musa Dean, Attorney General and Minister of Justice.