MONROVIA, Liberia – Fresh controversy has erupted over the death of Anwar Futloo, the 64-year-old manager of the Boulevard Palace Hotel, after his widow publicly disputed the official account of events leading to his demise and questioned the credibility of the autopsy findings released by the Ministry of Justice (MoJ).
Futloo, a Mauritian national and long-time hotel executive in Liberia, was reported by police on December 30, 2024 to have ingested a corrosive substance at the Sinkor offices of a local NGO belonging to his close friend, identified in official reports as Mr. Quashie. According to the autopsy, Futloo allegedly purchased a highly concentrated cleaning acid from the Harbel Supermarket and later entered the NGO office with a plastic bag likely containing the substance. It remains unclear whether Quashie himself was at the office at the time.
What is known is that a security guard assigned to the premises claimed to have heard Futloo calling for help. He rushed into the building and later notified police officers stationed along Tubman Boulevard. The officers transported him to the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital (JFK), where he was eventually pronounced dead at approximately 7:30 p.m.
The Ministry of Justice, relying on a January 7, 2025 autopsy performed by government pathologist Dr. Benedict Kolee, announced this week that the case is officially closed, declaring Futloo’s death a suicide caused by the ingestion of concentrated acid.
But a Thursday night interview granted by his widow, Mrs. Mosphine Cargeor Futloo, has now cast significant doubts over that conclusion—raising new questions about the timeline of events, the handling of the investigation, and the treatment of key evidence.
Wife Says First Medical Facility Did Nothing: “My husband’s shirt was torn… he had bruises.”
In an emotional account on a local radio station, Mrs. Futloo said that the first call she received on the evening of December 30 was not from police, but from an unidentified individual alerting her that her husband had ingested “something” and was in distress at Fidelity Healthcare Services on 20th Street, Sinkor—a facility not mentioned in any official report.
She rushed there immediately.
“When I arrived, my husband’s shirt was torn,” she said. “He had bruises on his side. I don’t know whether it was the left or the right, but it was visible.”
Mrs. Futloo said her husband was conscious when she reached him and attempted to communicate using only his hands, as he was unable to speak.
But what troubled her most, she claimed, was the lack of medical intervention.
“He was just lying there,” she said. “Nobody was doing anything. That was when I insisted that we move him.”
According to her, she, along with her husband’s superior from the Boulevard Palace Hotel, physically moved Futloo from Fidelity to JFK Medical Center, where he was later declared dead.
None of these details appear in the autopsy narrative or the Ministry of Justice press release.
Widow: “A police officer took the demeaning photo that spread online.”
Another explosive claim she made concerns the disturbing photo of her dying husband that circulated widely on social media, showing him slumped and visibly distressed.
“That picture was taken by one of the police officers who responded at Fidelity,” she alleged. “While I was there, no one else took any photo of him.”
She suggested that the same officer may have been responsible for distributing the image online.
Phones Taken, Returned Months Later Without SIM Cards
Mrs. Futloo also raised issues about her husband’s two mobile phones.
According to her, she was given the devices at Fidelity and still had them when she accompanied him to JFK. But sometime later, the overall boss of the Boulevard Palace Hotel allegedly requested the phones “for investigation purposes.”
She said she turned them over.
“They were not returned to me until months later,” she said. “And when they came back, both SIM cards were missing. I cannot open the phones because they are still password-locked.”
The autopsy report does not mention the phones at all, nor does the Ministry of Justice release.
Autopsy Findings: Chemical Burns, Coagulative Necrosis, No External Injuries
The autopsy documents released to the Ministry outline severe internal damage consistent with ingestion of a corrosive acid, including:
- Coagulative necrosis of the stomach wall
- Perforation along the greater curvature
- Dark tarry contents in the gastrointestinal tract
- Chemical burns in the mouth, throat, stomach and abdominal cavity
- No external injuries or signs of assault
Dr. Kolee concluded that the manner of death was “unnatural but consistent with a self-directed action.”
Present at the autopsy were:
- Law enforcement officers
- Mortuary attendants
- Family members, including Mrs. Futloo
However, Mrs. Futloo said on radio that she was never given a copy of the autopsy report, nor was she ever interviewed by police during the investigation.
“Not one day did the police call me,” she said. “And then I wake up and hear that the Ministry has closed the case? Based on what?”
Ministry of Justice Declares Case Closed; Opposition Politicians Cry Foul
In its December 3, 2025 statement, the MoJ said the autopsy’s conclusion of suicide brings the matter to an official close—unless new information emerges.
But Mrs. Futloo says the Ministry acted “without speaking to the family, without any engagement, without even giving us the report.”
Her remarks have sparked a political backlash. Sections of the opposition have openly accused the government of covering up wrongdoing, with some hardliners claiming—without presenting evidence—that the state “murdered” the hotel manager.
Government officials have dismissed such claims as reckless and unfounded.
Unanswered Questions Continue to Mount
Despite the autopsy’s scientific findings, several unresolved issues linger:
- Why was Fidelity Healthcare not mentioned anywhere in the police or autopsy report?
- What caused the bruises and torn shirt observed by the widow?
- Why was the first photo of a dying man taken by a police officer?
- Why were Futloo’s phones seized, kept for months, and returned without SIM cards?
- Why was the widow never interviewed if this was considered a suicide investigation?
- Was Mr. Quashie, the friend and owner of the NGO office, present that day?
These gaps have fueled public suspicion and renewed calls for an independent inquiry.
Family Demands Justice, Says Case “Cannot Be Closed”
Mrs. Futloo and her extended family say they reject the Ministry’s closure of the case and are demanding:
- A full independent investigation
- An official explanation from police about missing evidence
- Access to all medical and investigative files
- Accountability for the officer who photographed her dying husband
“We believe there is foul play,” she said. “We will not rest until we know exactly what happened.”
