Koijee, Varlee Telleh Subpoenaed To Testify In Court – In Charloe Musu’s Murder Case at Criminal Court “A”

By Melvin Jackson

MONROVIA: Criminal Court ‘A’ Judge Roosevelt Willie has issued a writ of subpoena Duces’ Tecum ad Testificandum on Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson Koijee to produce to court, Monrovia City Police Officer Varlee Telleh and to  testify to his telephone number(s) used between February 21st to the 25th of this year.

The subpoena was issued based on a submission made by defense counsel on Thursday, November 30, 2023 to Judge Willie for Major Koijee to produce his employee, Varlee Telleh, to testify as to whom he called on February 21st and February 25th of this year.

The court also issued a subpoena on Orange GSM Company to produce the call log for the number 0777142133 and also track the phone and its user.

Judge Willie further issued a subpoena on Orange GSM number 0776011-848, Lone star GSM numbers 0886529330 and 0880898722 on grounds that the court wants the communication companies to state who is using the said numbers, which were being used and owned by co-defendant Scott.

LoneStar and Orange GSM Companies along with Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson Koijee are expected to appear in open court on Monday, December 4, 2023 at 10 O’clock AM to testify in the ongoing murder case involving former Chief Justice Scott and three of her relatives.

The Defense Counsel also states that the three telephone numbers, which belong to Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott, one of Co-Defendants, must be subpoenaed from the GSM Companies hereinabove mentioned because, from February 21, 2023 to today’s date, November 30, 2023, the want to know who has been using those numbers and also the gadgets of the phones which using them, since they had earlier said they can determine the location of the phones.

Following the defense lawyers application,   Prosecution resisted and said the application lacks specificity and purpose because the application by the defense counsel did not mention what specifically the defense counsel wants; and that defense’s submission is intended to delay and baffle the trial as the accused defense lawyers of going on what they called “a fishing expedition.”

“Since the Prosecution has stated that the application by defense counsel lacks specificity, it means that they do not know what they want and so, this Court should deny the application,” the judge revealed in passing on the application and its resistance.

But more than that, City Mayor Jefferson Koijee and Varlee Telleh were called in for investigation as it relates to this matter and upon completion of the investigation, they were cleared by the Liberia National Police and therefore, the trial judge reasoned, saying that they have nothing relating to this case as no one particularly regular witnesses did not mention their names.

However, the Court says why it is true that the subpoena which by law can be ordered by either of the party must be relevant to the case, the subpoena as prayed for by the Defendants is relevant to this case because, the Court file specifically mentioned Jefferson Koijee and Varlee Telleh as being investigated and freed from all responsibility of this crime.

The judge said the Defense Counsel is saying that despite the report or investigation by the Police that freed Mr. Telleh and Koijee from every responsibility of the murder, they want to find out themselves in open court based on their telephone calls, saying that those telephones numbers are subpoenaed so as to know whether they played any role in this murder, conspiracy and raising false alarm to law enforcement officials or not.

More than that, the defense has a responsibility to defend themselves, the Judge said, because were they to be found guilty of this crime, the punishment of this crime calls for life imprisonment and death by hanging, even though death by hanging has been nullified by the Liberian Legislature and so it is relevant to this court as it relates to the numbers that have been requested which the Defense says are the numbers of the Co-Defendant Scott.

Again, the Judge said they are relevant because when the GSM Companies produced the call log, the call log will indicate whether that number is being used, where it is being used and what time it is being used.

Therefore, and in view of the aforesaid, the objection by the Prosecution is overruled and the application by counsel for defense is granted. The Clerk of Court is hereby ordered to issue the subpoena duces tecum ad – testificandum on Varlee Telleh through the City Mayor of Monrovia to come and testify to these concerns

The court issued the subpoena directing those individuals and institutions concerned to appear with the documents that have been referred to in the application on Monday, December 4, 2023, at 10:00am.  And it was so ordered.