Monrovia — Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee has denied any involvement in the recent attack on the home of former Chief Justice Glorious Musu Scott. Alongside Deputy City Police Chief Varlee Talleh and his lawyer, Koijee appeared at the Liberia National Police Headquarters for interrogation, following a mandate by the Liberian Senate to investigate the matter.
In a statement to journalists following his attendance at a Police invitation, Koijee denied allegations that he masterminded an attack on the life of Scott. He stated that these claims were false and misleading. Furthermore, he announced that he was willing to relinquish all of his rights as Mayor in order to answer any questions posed by law enforcement agencies or courts.
“I feel very saddened over the loss of the daughter of the former Chief Justice. But I am innocent and this is why I am willing to add US$5000 to the Police US$5000, making the total amount to US$10,000 for anyone who will bring the evidence or identify the real murderer of the little girl,” the Mayor said.
Koijee noted that he led struggles in Liberia when he was a student leader, mainly in 2008 when little Angel Tokpah was found dead in the home of her guardians she lived with.
“This is why I have waived my right as a Mayor to come and respond to the call of the Police. This effort is to ensure that whosoever the perpetrator is, that perpetrator must be revealed and let justice be served. Police said US$5000 as a bounty for finding the culprit but I say US$10,000. I will add US$5000 to the amount to find the doer,” he emphasized.
Varlee Tarleh, one of his senior city police officers is also accused by Cllr. Jerome Verdier of committing the murder and making the assassination attempt on Cllr. Scott also denied the allegation to the police.
He said he has been away from Brewerville, the community in which Scott lives for a long time and he was nowhere around the place when the incident occurred.
“From the 1st of this month (February) till today (yesterday) I have been at the City Hall. I have not gone anywhere. I have been sleeping there. I got the information through the media that I was involved in the killing of someone. The woman you people are talking about, I don’t even know her. I don’t know her house, I don’t live there,” he said.
Tarleh pointed out, though, that he used to work as a teacher at an Arabic-English school in Banjor, Brewerville but lived by then on 7th Street in Sinkor and returned to his Sinkor residence each day he retired from his teaching job.
“It is propaganda. Sheik Sackor carried my profile to Cllr. Jerome Verdier. Sackor has been with me since 1994. He is a BM or black money man in Guinea. He escaped from Guinea and came to Voinjama in 1994. He fought the war with me from 1994 to 1995, including the April 6 war. I knew Mayor Koijee from nowhere. It was Sackor who held my hand and carried me to Koijee,” Tarleh disclosed.
Arthur Johnson, lawyer of Koijee said his client is innocent.
According to Cllr. Johnson, there is no evidence, as yet to prove that anyone truly attempted to assassinate former Chief Justice Scott.
“Mayor Koijee has availed himself and made it clear that he is nowhere near committing or masterminding the crime he is accused of, be it against anybody else or the former Chief Justice. We categorically condemn the act and express our sympathy to the former Chief Justice for the loss of her daughter. We condemn it in the strongest terms. Anyone who has evidence regarding what transpired at the home of the former Chief Justice must come to the Police and show the evidence to assist the Police in this investigation,” he said.
Johnson noted that the attempt on the life of the former Chief Justice is a national security concern but the evidence is vital to help Police track down perpetrator(s).
“Also, it is important for Cllr. Verdier to send whatever evidence he said he has in his possession to the Police who will then take it to court. If we make statements on the internet but do not show up with the evidence and assist in any investigation then obviously, we have a problem. If you don’t trust the Police, the institution or arena for social control then where are we going?,” he said, adding “There is a need to trust the Police and judge them on the basis of the quality of the reports they make available to us.”