MONROVIA – The Government of Liberia, through its Ministry of Justice, has begun presenting evidence in the ongoing extradition proceedings of Othello Bruce, a 60-year-old Liberian-American accused of multiple counts of sexual abuse in the United States.
During a court session on Thursday, April 17, 2025, prosecutors brought forward their first witness, who testified that Bruce allegedly sexually abused his biological daughter while she was under his care in the United States.
Bruce stands accused of fleeing the U.S. in 2012 to avoid prosecution after a grand jury in Worcester County, Massachusetts indicted him on 12 criminal counts. The charges include four counts each of Aggravated Statutory Rape of a Child (involving both natural and unnatural sexual intercourse) and Indecent Assault and Battery on a person aged 14 or older.
Solicitor General Cllr. Augustine Fayiah, leading the state’s legal team, told the court that Bruce committed the alleged offenses between December 2010 and March 2012. He further stated that the United States has formally requested Bruce’s extradition under the 1937 Extradition Treaty between the U.S. and Liberia, a treaty he stressed is still valid and enforceable.
However, defense attorney Cllr. James Kumah pushed back, arguing that the extradition agreement is outdated, claiming it was nullified in 1939. He also asserted that Bruce did not flee the U.S., but rather traveled to Liberia to visit family, only to become stranded when his visa expired.
At the conclusion of Thursday’s hearing, Stipendiary Magistrate Ben Barco adjourned the case until Monday, April 21, 2025, at 9:00 a.m. The court also ordered that Bruce remain in custody at the Monrovia Central Prison pending further proceedings.
