By Olando Testimony Zeongar
MONROVIA – Amid reports that the Liberia National Police on yesterday, charged former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria Musu-Scott, along with three other members of her family for the murder of Charloe Musu, lawyers representing the accused have filed a writ of Habeas Corpus against the George Weah-led government.
According to court documents Smart News Liberia is privy to, the lawyers, in a petition filed at the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Assizes “C’ for Montserrado County, sitting in its May 2023 Term of court, on behalf of their clients, Cllr. Gloria Musu-Scott, Ma Rebecca Youdeh Wisner, Gertrude Newton, and Alice Johnson, are demanding that the Ministry of Justice, the Liberia National Police (LNP), and all those acting under their control and authority, produce the living bodies of the accused, who they said are being held in the custody of the LNP.
The lawyers, on Tuesday, prayed the Court and was granted a Writ of Habeas Corpus, commanding the Liberian Ministry of Justice, the LNP and all those under their control and authority to not just produce the living bodies of the four individuals, but that this should be done together with the presentation to the First Judicial Circuit, Criminal Court “C”, the cause for the detention of the four ladies by the police.
Habeas corpus, a recourse in law, is a legal term that means an accused person must be presented physically before the court with a statement demonstrating sufficient cause for arrest.
According to the Writ, the Justice Ministry and the Police are to do so today, on or before 12 noon, so as to afford the Presiding Judge of Criminal Court “C” to make such judgment as the Court deems befitting regarding the detention, or withholding of the ladies by the LNP.
Meanwhile, the Clerk of Criminal Court “C’, as of yesterday, mandated that the Montserrado County Sheriff or his deputy serves the Ministry of Justice and the LNP the Writ of Habeas Corpus, together with the petitioners’ complaint and informed them to make their legal returns to said Writ on or before 12 noon on today, Wednesday, 21 June 2023.
The Sheriff was also mandated to notify the Ministry of Justice and the Police that failure on their part to file such legal returns on the time and date stipulated in the Writ, judgment will be rendered against them and the Court will grant unto the petitioners the relief being sought for.
