(Rapaport… March 9, 2004) The United Nations (UN)-backed Special Court in Sierra Leone has begun carrying out investigations in Liberia and a team of investigators began searching residences of ex-president Charles Taylor on March 5, 2004. They are gathering evidence to use against Taylor, who has been indicted by the court for war crimes including, supplying Sierra Leone rebels with arms in return for diamonds.
The team, headed by chief investigator Allen White, met strong resistance from Taylor loyalists when they tried to enter a house in Congo Town, the southeastern suburb of Monrovia, where Taylor lived until he was forced into exile in August, 2003. United Nations peacekeeping forces had to intervene before the investigators were able to gain access to the building. According to sources close to Taylor, documents were retrieved from the house.
In other news, lawyer Sam Kargbo has produced a documentary called “Blood Diamonds,” showing Taylor and the late Foday Sankoh’s involvement in the war and conflict diamonds. Kargbo alleges that the ousted Taylor is still in touch with certain businessmen in Liberia, with whom Sankoh left diamonds. “Even the Military Intelligence in Nigeria had stumbled on the news and alerted the Defense Ministry in Sierra Leone,” he said.