JUDGE DUNCAN DISBANDS JURY, HALTS DRUG TRIAL OVER ALLEGED LDEA TAMPERING IN MARGIBI
BY: Abraham Logic Kollie
KAKATA, Liberia. The 13th Judicial Circuit Court in Margibi County, Resident Judge Her Honor Victoria Duncan has disbanded the jury in a drug case involving Quita Dolo Kosso, ordered investigation into serious allegations of juror tampering involving an officer of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA).
The decision comes just weeks after Judge Duncan delivered a powerful charge to jurors on May 11, 2026, urging them to be a living commitment to justice.”
During that opening ceremony, she declared that “justice is not a static concept” and that jurors “must listen carefully, deliberate thoughtfully, and act with integrity.”
However, the proceedings have now been interrupted by allegations that LDEA Officer Myron Swen improperly contacted and influenced members of the jury.
Rather than proceeding under a cloud of suspicion, Judge Duncan acted decisively.
The Resident Judge suspended the trial and ordered a full-scale investigation conducted in open court, allowing all parties to witness the process.
Meanwhile, Ambassador Cecilia Forgbe McGill, a renounced Liberian Diplomat and Director of Diplomats Without Borders, has commended Judge Duncan’s handling of the crisis while also noting that her Honor Judge Victoria Worlobah Duncan has demonstrated ethics, integrity, courage, and professionalism in her recent ruling.
McGill further asserted that rather than ignoring these concerns, Judge Duncan acted decisively by suspending the trial and ordering a full-scale investigation to be conducted in open court.
He praised her actions noting that it demonstrates a strong commitment to transparency, accountability, and the rule of law
In her earlier charge to jurors, Judge Duncan had quoted renowned English jurist Sir William Blackstone, reminding the court that jury service places “extraordinary responsibility” in the hands of ordinary citizens.
“This duty is not easy,” she had said. “It requires impartiality, patience, and courage. Jurors must set aside personal bias, resist outside influence, and commit themselves wholly.
The May Term of Court had been expected to hear a range of criminal and civil cases. The investigation into the tampering allegations will now take precedence, with the fate of the term—and any verdicts that might have been rendered—hanging in the balance.