Lawyers Re-file Petition to Free Cllr. Scott, Relatives on Bail
TEMPLE OF JUSTICE, Monrovia – In the case of Charloe Musu, defense lawyers have filed a bill of information following the government’s failure to present evidence as ordered by criminal court “A” Judge on Tuesday, July 3.
The Judge of Criminal Court ‘A’ Roosevelt Z. Willie, in his July 3 ruling on the motion for discoveries filed by Cllr. Scott’s legal team, ordered the state prosecutors to present both material and physical evidence they relied on to draw an indictment against defendant Scott and three other family members following the death of Charlie Musu in February of this year.
He said state prosecutors should present the evidence in order to allow defense lawyers to adequately represent their clients, who are being accused of murder, criminal conspiracy and giving false reports to law enforcement officials.
Judge Willie mandated the State Prosecutors to hand over all pieces of evidence latest on Wednesday, July 4, 2023 and failure to do so, unspecified legal actions will be taken against them.
Prosecutors, however failed to present their evidence as was ordered by the court, thus leading defense to file a bill of information requesting the court to take said legal actions against them.
Defense filed the bill of information to court stating their disappointments, and requesting the court to reverse its Tuesday ruling-when the court denied the motion to bail and sent the former Chief Justice and others back to the Monrovia central prison.
“The intent of this indictment is to persecute and not to prosecute and using this Honorable Court and using the state instrument to melt injustice to the informants (defendants). Henceforth, your ruling refusing the bail should be rescinded and the said bail granted on the basis of facts and lack of evidence, the defense stated.
On Tuesday, Judge Willie ruled denying the motion to bail defendants Scott and three other family members on grounds that the law does not see status or position as was argued by defense lawyers.
The defense among other things, noted that the bill of information that prosecution does not have any evidence but instead wants to use the indictment- drawn by the Special Grand Jury of Montserrado County- which prosecutors said was based on evidence they gathered, linking the defendants to the crimes to prosecute without presenting it to them as per legal practice.
Defense averred that prosecution wants to use the court to melt out injustice against the former Chief Justice and three of her family members.
The defense counsel, however, urged the court to take appropriate action against the state for failing to present their evidence as was ordered by the Judge on Tuesday July 3.
