By Olando Testimony Zeongar
MONROVIA – Pro-government protesters led by avowed supporters of the ruling establishment and regime collaborators, stormed the streets on 5 June 2023, protesting in demand of clearing the name of Monrovia City Mayor Jeff Koijee off the bloody murder case of young Ms. Charloe Musu.
The protesters under the banner Concerned Liberians Network, organized by two well-known proteges of the George Weah administration, Y. Michael Gilman, a Liberian residing in the United States and Journalist Abraham Wheon, the Manager of the pro-government radio station, Freedom FM, in the absence of the Government of Liberia making public its final report on the gruesome murder of Ms. Musu, are demanding that the name of Mayor Koijee, who was linked to the commission of the homicide, be cleared.
It is recalled, on 22 February 2023, Charloe was mercilessly murdered allegedly by an unidentified assailant at her family’s Brewerville residence, according to former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria Musu-Scott, who is considered the mother of the deceased.
Following the fatal incident, Liberia’s erstwhile Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) former Chairman, Cllr. Jerome Verdier, Sr. went on live radio and TV, alleging that Mayor Koijee was the mastermind behind Charloe’s murder, indicating at the time that the Monrovia City Mayor hired officer Varlee Telleh of the Monrovia City Police, to have sodomized ex-Justice Musu-Scott before assassinating her, inferring that the alleged assassin failed on the mission and instead gruesomely took away the life of the young lady.
However, Cllr. Verdier’s allegations against Koijee and Telleh, have since been refuted by both men.
Howbeit, last week, pro-government protesters with the Concerned Liberians Network, which has as its Chairman, Mr. Y. Michael Gilman, a staunch campaigner for President George Weah’s reelection bid and an avowed supporter of the lead party, Congress for Democratic Change, in the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, and his Co-chair, Journalist Abraham Wheon, who works for a pro-government radio station, took to the streets, demanding justice for Charloe Musu, a move many political pundits, who preferred remaining anonymous for this report, have termed as “demanding kangaroo justice.”
The pundits warned Gilman and Wheon, along with their supporters, as well as those they referred to as their benefactors to give true justice a free course and desist from attempting to twist the arms of the law, arguing that to dispense impartial and credible justice require time and should not be done in haste.
Meanwhile, among others, the pro-government protesters are insisting that Mayor Koijee’s and Officer Telleh’s names be cleared, since indeed, both men were called in by the Liberia National Police (LNP), questioned, and were allowed to leave the Headquarters of the LNP without any charges even though, the actual murderer of Charloe Musu is yet unknown.
Smart News Liberia has been told by multiple sources that the pro-government protesters’ action was triggered by insider information regarding an investigative report reportedly conducted and concluded by the LNP, which our sources divulged, allegedly linked former Justice Musu-Scott to the murder of her daughter, and that Justice Minister Dean, said to be a longtime friend to the former Justice, is allegedly refusing for the police report to be made public.
According to our sources, the pro-government protesters’ protest action, as planned, was intended to bring pressure to bear on Justice Minister Dean, to make public the LNP report, which Journalist Wheon, who served as spokesperson for the group on the day of the Concerned Liberians Network’s street protest, claimed is in the possession of the Liberian minister of justice.
On the other hand, political pundits have also divulged to Smart News Liberia that there are indications that Justice Minister Dean is apprehensive about releasing the purported report, due to the likelihood that it is biased – hence, he’s ordered additional investigation that is currently ongoing.
The pro-government protesters, without mincing words, asserted in a five-page petition statement presented first, to the Legislature and then to Minister Dean on the day of the protest that they are resolved that the Ministry of Justice makes a public declaration clearing the names of Mayor Jefferson Koijee and Varlee Telleh, where applicable.
The pro-government protesters are also calling on the Ministry of Justice to declare Mr. Jerome Verdier, who currently resides in the United States, a person of interest in the Charloe Musu murder case, and seek his extradition from the US, according to them, for the former boss of the disbanded TRC to answer in a Court of Competent Jurisdiction in Liberia.
The Gilman, Wheon group, the Concerned Liberians Network, says it is resolved that the Ministry of Justice releases unconditionally, the LNP’s findings into the Charloe’s murder case; and that the Ministry issues an official press release indicating findings, recommendations, and final names of persons of interest suspected of being involved in the murder of Charloe.
Additionally, Gilman, Wheon and their droves of pro-government protesters are demanding that the Legislature takes a vote of “No Confidence” in Justice Minister Dean and compels him to resign.
The Concerned Liberians Network also wants the Liberian government through the Ministry of Justice, to appoint a Special Independent Counsel to investigate Charloe’s bloody murder.
Justice Minister Dean received the pro-government protesters’ petition, and in a brief remark, thanked the petitioners, indicating, “You are citizens of this country and you deserve to be heard – that is why we came down to interact with you people.”
He informed the pro-government protesters that they have raised many issues in their petition, disclosing that the issue of Charloe Musu is on the Justice Ministry’s radar.
He added that the Ministry of Justice has not forgotten Charloe’s murder case, stating, “We are investigating day and night, considering every aspect of it and sooner or later, you will be hearing findings from the investigation.”
Justice Minister Dean then vowed that sooner or later, the Ministry of Justice would engage with the Concerned Liberians Network in a bid to continue interacting with them regarding issues raised by them.
