By Lewis S. Teh
Cllr. Arthur T. Johnson has made an early plea with the U.S. Government not to sanction Monrovia Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee without all the evidence against his client.
Johnson represents Koijee in an ongoing investigation into the brutal murder of Charloe Musu, the daughter of Liberia’s former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott.
Koijee and his employee, Mr. Varlee Telleh, an officer of the Monrovia City Police, were questioned by the Liberia National Police (LNP) surrounding the death.
The two men were questioned after U.S.-based former Liberia Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) chair Cllr. Jerome Verdier accused them of being the culprit of Charloe’s gruesome murder.
Cllr. Verdier had alleged that Koijee had ordered Telleh to attack Cllr. Scott, and in the process allegedly Charloe was murdered.
Both Koijee and Telleh have denied having a hand in the case. But Cllr. Scott has reported that the authorities were treating her as the suspect instead of a victim.
Meanwhile, Cllr. Johnson has urged the international community, particularly the U.S. government to collect all the factual evidence in any given circumstances before issuing sanctions on government officials.
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“We call on our international partners to make sure to collect every factual evidence in [any] allegations before releasing sanctions,” Johnson pleaded.
Addressing a press conference Wednesday, 10 May 2023 at his law office on Center Street in central Monrovia, Cllr. Johnson said placing people on sanctions in the absence of providing factual evidence is a bad signal for the country during an election period.
He claimed that it has the proclivity to create chaos in the country.
According to Cllr. Johnson, all those that are falsely accusing his client are people who are desirous of destroying the future of Liberia by their constant habit of spreading falsehood against prominent individuals.
He alleged that they aim to have prominent officials placed under sanctions by the United States government.
Meanwhile, Cllr. Johnson has released an audio in which is alleged that some U.S.-based Liberians were heard persuading Monrovia City Police Director Col. Thomas Garwo to lie about his boss Mr. Koijee.
It is claimed that Garwo’s demand for US$10,000 to get his family out of Liberia was not met, and it allegedly broke down efforts to get him talking.
Garwo has returned to Liberia and spoke at the press conference alongside Cllr. Johnson.
Col. Garwo told reporters that his life was threatened if he failed to follow instructions to accuse Mayor Koijee of bringing arms into the country.
He also alleged that he was threatened to lie about Koijee and that he masterminded Charloe Musu’s murder.
“I told them my wife is a mother and a prophetess and I won’t lie on anyone, not even my boss man,” said Garwo.
