Fact CheckLiberiaMainstream

False! No evidence to support ritualistic claim against CDC Chairman in Charloe’s murder

Claim: The family of Justice Gloria Musu-Scott, in a recent statement, quotes the ruling party Chairman Mulbah Morlu as saying, “their daughter Charloe Musu was killed for ritualistic purposes.” 

False! No evidence to support ritualistic claim against CDC Chairman in Charloe’s murder

Verdict: False. Online research on the particular Press Conference revealed that Morlu did not mention such a statement. The ruling party chairman also openly clarified the allegation to the media.

Full Text

The murder and armed robbery attacks on the home of Liberia’s former Chief Justice, Gloria Musu-Scott, have been greeted with several accusations, one of which is coming from the family of Justice Scott.

Charloe Musu, daughter of Justice Scott, was murdered on the morning of Thursday,  February 23, 2023, at Justice Scott’s residence in Brewville on the outskirt of the city.

Other members of the household suffered injuries in the attack. It is not yet clear the motive for the murder and the attack but the news of the murder has since gone viral.  

The police have since begun an investigation into the matter.

While citizens look forward to a speedy investigation and the arrest of the culprits, there have been some allegations and counter-allegations. One such is from the family of the former Chief Justice. 

On March 6, 2023, the family issued a statement accusing the ruling party chairman, Mulbah Morlu, of making statements against the family.

The statement partly reads, “On Thursday, March 2, 2023, the chairman of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change – CDC, Mulbah Morlu, had a Press Conference at the CDC headquarters in Sinkor. It was held immediately after the Liberian Women Sit-in Action in protest at the Legislature on Capitol Hill seat against the murder and assault against the Musu family.”

The family statement accused Mr Morlu of saying Charloe was killed for “ritualistic purposes.”

The murder of Charloe has triggered widespread, vehement public condemnation in the country. 

The institutions and groups that have expressed disdain over the attacks include the Liberia National Bar Association, former Vice President and Standard bearer of the former ruling Unity Party, Joseph Nyuma Boakai.

The gravity of the situation involving former Chief Justice Gloria Musu Scott and her daughter’s death and the accusation against the party chairman form the basis for this fact-check.

Verification

Given the sensitive nature of the claim, DUBAWA decided to contact the family for evidence of its claim against the party chairman. But the family of the former Chief Justice, when contacted for a response, declined to verify the claim as indicated in their Press statement.

The Family spokesperson Julius Musu in a telephone conversation with this researcher, said the family would not respond to the inquiry seeking answers over an allegation raised in their most recent release.

“All I can tell you is that the matter is before the police, and the family is cooperating, and that is all for now,” Julius Musu said on the phone.   

The researcher scrutinised the video of March 2, 2023, press conference, which formed the basis of the ritual murder accusation attributed to Mr Morlu. From the scrutiny, it is clear there was no such accusation in the video.

Though the family statement alleged that Chairman Morlu of President Weah’s ruling Coalition said their daughter was used for ritual, he debunked the claim via telephone interview with OK FM on March 6, 2023.

His rebuttal, which can be heard between the 2:04:05sec on the show, among other things, rejected the claim, “that is not true, I never said that. Several credible media institutions covered my press conference. The videos are out there.”

Conclusion

The claim by the former chief justice, Gloria Musu Scott’s family, which accuses Mr Weah’s three-party government chairman Mulbah Morlu of saying that Charloe Musu, daughter of Justice Scott, was killed for ritual purposes, is false.

The researcher produced this fact-check per the DUBAWA 2023 Kwame KariKari Fellowship partnership with OK FM to facilitate the ethos of “truth” in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.

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