– Grand Jury Cites Insufficient Evidence for Rape Indictment
SANNIQUELLIE, Nimba County, Liberia — The Grand Jury for Nimba County, sitting in the August 2026 Court Term in the Sexual Offenses Division of the 8th Judicial Circuit Court, has returned a Bill of Ignoramus, citing insufficient evidence to indict 38-year-old Edwin Mewah in connection with an alleged rape case involving a 33-year-old woman. The case initiallyattracted public attention after it was linked to the famous, “Brown Tap”, a sexual enhancement drink.
Mewah was charged with rape after the woman was reportedly hospitalized following an alleged sexual encounter during which she allegedly lost consciousness. The Liberia National Police (LNP) in Ganta City arrested, charged, and forwarded Mewah to court in July 2026 following a preliminary investigation into the reported incident.
The case was subsequently forwarded before the Grand Jury, which conducted a 21-day session to review the evidence and determine whether sufficient probable cause existed to indict the defendant.
At the conclusion of its proceedings, including investigative findings presented to the Ministry of Justice’s prosecution team at the 8th Judicial Circuit in Nimba County, the Grand Jury reported that the evidence presented was insufficient to establish probable cause for an indictment against Mewah.
Under Liberia’s Criminal Procedure Law, a Bill of Ignoramus is a formal determination by a grand jury that the evidence presented is insufficient to support an indictment or establish probable cause to proceed against an accused person.
The Grand Jury reportedly found that the evidence presented, including portions of the alleged survivor’s account, was insufficiently substantiated to support an indictment.
The decision does not constitute a judicial finding that the alleged incident did not occur, rather, it means the Grand Jury declined to return an indictment based on the evidence presented during its proceedings.
Court Orders Defendant’s Release
On Monday, September 7, 2026, Judge Musa S. Sidibey of the Sexual Offenses Division of the 8th Judicial Circuit Court ordered the immediate release of Edwin Mewah from pretrial detention at the Sanniquellie Central Prison. The release followed the Grand Jury’s return of the Bill of Ignoramus and was made in accordance with the applicable legal procedure.
According to police reports, the alleged survivor was preparing to travel to Monrovia and was waiting for a commercial bus at the Ganta-Monrovia parking area after paying her fare when Mewah, whom she identified as her former boyfriend, allegedly approached her.
Police alleged that Mewah offered the woman a bottle containing a substance that he presented as a soft drink. Investigators said that shortly after consuming the substance, the woman reportedly became unconscious and lost awareness of her surroundings.
Police further alleged that Mewah subsequently took her to a motel near the Total Gas Station in the vicinity of the parking area, where the two reportedly remained for several hours. The woman later regained consciousness and reported that she had been sexually assaulted.
She was subsequently taken to the United Methodist Hospital in Ganta for medical attention. During the preliminary investigation, the woman reportedly told police that she had been sitting on the bus awaiting departure when Mewah approached her with the bottle.
She alleged that after drinking its contents, she lost consciousness and later regained awareness in an unfamiliar location.
Police alleged that she was sexually assaulted while she was unconscious or otherwise unable to understand or control her surroundings.
Meanwhile, the defendant, Edwin Mewah denied drugging the woman or deliberately rendering her unconscious. During police questioning, he reportedly acknowledged that the woman was his former girlfriend but said the two had not communicated for approximately six months before unexpectedly encountering each other at the parking area.
According to Mewah’s account, the woman asked him to accompany her to his residence so she could rest. He reportedly explained to investigators that because he lives on his farm in Sipi Village, outside Ganta City, he instead rented a room at a nearby motel.
Mewah admitted that he and the woman engaged in sexual intercourse but maintained that the encounter was consensual. He reportedly told investigators that he paid L$300 for the motel room. Mewah also denied giving the woman any substance intended to incapacitate her. He reportedly told police that he consumed only a small quantity of an alcoholic beverage identified as “My Choice.”
He further denied using substances known locally as “Brown Top” or “Mai Sasanci,” which were described during the investigation as traditionally formulated herbal mixtures. Thealleged survivor, however, accused Mewah of administering a substance she believed was intended to enhance sexual performance and subsequently caused her to lose consciousness.
After reviewing the evidence during its 21-day session, the Grand Jury declined to indict Mewah and returned a Bill of Ignoramus.
With the Bill of Ignoramus returned and the court ordering his release, Mewah has been released from pretrial detention in connection with the present rape allegation.
