allAfrica.com: Liberia: NPFL Insider 'Zigzag' Marzah alleges Taylor Ordered Atrocities in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and Traded Arms for Diamonds With the RUF (Page 1 of 3)

Liberia: NPFL Insider 'Zigzag' Marzah alleges Taylor Ordered Atrocities in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and Traded Arms for Diamonds With the RUF

The monitors of former President Charles Taylor's trial report for www.charlestaylortrial.org

NPFL Insider 'Zigzag' Marzah alleges Taylor Ordered Atrocities in Liberia and Sierra Leone, and Traded Arms for Diamonds With the RUF

This morning the prosecution sought to call a new witness and applied to the judges to limit the scope and length of that witness's examination and cross-examination.

The judges denied the request for limits on cross-examination, and the new witness, Joseph D. "Zigzag" Marzah, took the stand. Marzah said he was with Taylor's National Patriotic Front for Liberia (NPFL) from the very beginning to the very end and had risen to become Taylor's Chief of Operations. He recounted numerous atrocities committed in Liberia and Sierra Leone, all of which he said had been ordered by Taylor. He also claimed that near the end of the Sierra Leonean conflict, Taylor ordered him to execute Revolutionary United Front (RUF) commander Issa Sesay, who was cooperating in the peace process at the time. In addition to Taylor's orders, Marzah alleged that Taylor directly participated in the burying alive of a pregnant woman in Monrovia. Marzah detailed alleged arms-for-diamonds trading between Taylor and the RUF in Sierra Leone.

Legal arguments on limiting the scope of cross-examination

Lead Prosecutor Brenda Hollis began the day by explaining to the judges that rather than continue with the witness who was still testifying at the end of the day yesterday (Isaac Mongor), the prosecution would seek to call a new witness. The trial chamber had earlier denied a closed session for this witness, and in light of that ruling the witness was only willing to testify if additional measures were put in place to protect him and his family. For logistical reasons not described in court, these protective measures can only be undertaken this week and shortly after the witness's return home. For this reason, the witness would be unavailable after Friday. The prosecution applied to the chamber to limit direct examination to one day, and the defense cross-examination to one-and-a-half days, or two days if court sits exceptionally in the afternoon on Friday. Hollis cited legal precedents for such limitations on the length of the cross-examination.

Lead Defense counsel Courtenay Griffiths argued that he did not know what the witness would say, and therefore would not be fulfilling his duty to his client if he agreed in advance to limit his cross-examination. He argued that the chamber has an overriding duty to justice and fairness, and that concerns for witness safety and protection should not limit the right of the accused to a fair trial, including the right to full cross-examination. Griffiths cited various provisions of the Special Court's Rules of Procedure and Evidence, as well as a legal ruling at the Yugoslav tribunal.

After hearing a reply from Hollis, who argued that the rights of victims and witnesses must be balance with the rights of the accused, the judges retired from the courtroom to consider the arguments. Upon returning, Presiding Judge Teresa Doherty announced their ruling: that it would not be in the interests of justice to grant the prosecution request for limits on cross-examination. The prosecution nonetheless called the new witness to the stand, in hopes that he might complete his testimony before the week ends.

Direct examination of "Zigzag" Marzah

The new witness was Joseph D. "Zigzag" Marzah, a Liberian of the Gio tribe. Marzah testified that he was one of 17 members of Taylor's NPFL who invaded Liberia from Ivory Coast on December 24, 1989, when his direct commander was Prince Johnson. After early infighting in the NPFL, Taylor ordered Marzah's release from a container burned by NPFL Special Forces, in which around 20 other Johnson loyalists died. Marzah swore his loyalty to Taylor and fought under his command. Marzah testified that while Prince Johnson's forces were disciplined if they abused civilians, under Taylor they were encouraged to rape and loot; he alleged that before Taylor became president of Liberia, his forces did not receive a salary, but were encouraged by Taylor to compensate themselves by stealing from civilians. He described NPFL checkpoints where human intestines were used as rope and strung across the road, and human heads were placed on sticks; he said that Taylor had seen many of these checkpoints.

Marzah described Taylor's introduction of Foday Sankoh to the NPFL. Later, after Marzah said Taylor had developed complete trust in him, Taylor allegedly sent Marzah to accompany Sankoh on a second incursion into Sierra Leone in 1991, where Sankoh was to become a leader. Marzah said that when his NPFL men captured Koindu, Sierra Leone, Sankoh cried over the dead civilians and soldiers and burned houses. Marzah said he called Taylor on the radio to complain of Sankoh's weakness, and that Taylor assured him Sankoh would get used to it.

Marzah described serving in a number of NPFL units after his return to Liberia, including the "Death Squad", responsible for executing soldiers who did not obey Taylor's orders.

Marzah testified that when the ULIMO faction controlled Lofa County, Taylor gave him money to buy kola nuts and bribe Guinean border officials to take the nuts into Guinea. After this worked twice, the new route and relationships were used to transport arms and ammunition, hidden under the kola nuts, to Kissidougou, from where they were transported to the Liberian embassy in Guinea for onward smuggling to the RUF in Sierra Leone.

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