19 March 2008
document
If the saying: "A truth crushed to the ground shall rise up" is anything to go by, then the rumors that inundated that former Vice President Enoch Dogolea died from beating holds ground. This is evidence by revelations made someone who claimed to have participated in his torture.
Witness Joseph D. "Zigzag" Marzah during cross-examination by the defense confessed that former President Taylor ordered the beating of his Vice President Enoch Dogolea because he was allegedly liaising with the American government. The Analyst brings you details of his cross-examination.
Joseph D. "Zigzag" Marzah has recounted that former Vice President Enoch Dogolea died from the beating he endured upon the orders of his former boss, former President Charles Taylor.
Dogolea died in 2000 in an Ivorian clinic following an ephemeral sickness. Following his death, speculations inundated that he died from beating. Responding to questions from the defense of accused Charles Taylor, he did not waiver nor slumber.
Excerpts From his cross-examination
Def: There are a couple of matters to clear up before I put my case to you. You told us about the beating to death of Vice President Enoc Dogoleleh?
Wit: Yes.
Def: You were involved in that?
Wit: Yes, I told you Taylor said Dogoleleh was trying to liaise with the American government. Taylor passed orders to Yeaten in my presence. They pretended to travel together. They took Dogolea in a tinted car and took him to Yeaten's, where he was beaten. Yeaten kept him there for three days.
Def: When was that?
Wit: I can't remember the time ... When Taylor was president in Monrovia.
Def: At Yeaten's address?
Apart from his revelations as to what happened to Dogolea, witness Marzah also encountered questions on other issues he raised in his testimony
Def: you were telling us that you're a substantial property owner and businessman?
Wit: Yes.
Def: Did you get the money to set up that business from arms dealing?
Wit: No.
Def: Where did you get it from?
Wit: I got it from serving the government. And my wife is a businesswoman, and I have my own credit union.
Def: You set up that business solely from your earnings as a soldier under Doe and Taylor?
Wit: What I have is what my wife controls. My business and my wife's business are not separate.
Def: You told us she has a large business. What kind?
Wit: She sells dry goods and palm oil from our palm oil factory. Apart from that we have cement she sells by bags. We sell rice and dry goods. Apart from that we have our own credit union and we have over 78 people who contribute towards it. We take the money from the credit union to buy goods and make more profit. People own credit in the club. They get profit from what they give. Those are some of the businesses. During Taylor's regime, we even fought the war from Nimba up to Buchanan. Any safe we took by his directive we took to him. We took 7 safes from RIA airport to Taylor in Gbarnga. He gave me over 87,000 US dollars. Mosquito used to give me up to 1million Leones when we brought diamonds.
Def: You made money from the Sierra Leone war?
Wit: Yes, through Charles Taylor.
Def: So the 3,417,000 in local currency given to you by the prosecution is not much for you?
Wit: I did not receive 3 million from anybody.
Def: These are the prosecution records. You've received [reads a series of figures in different figures]. That's not a lot of money to you?
Wit: I did not receive such an amount. What I received, I will tell you if it is true. What I get was through myself and the struggle behind Charles Taylor. When we took the big diamond to Taylor he gave me an envelope with 2,000 dollars in it.
Def: I'm going by the records by the prosecution. You also received an additional 3,316,000 Leones?
Wit: Leones? I don't know the difference of the Leone. I know US dollars and Liberian dollars. 300,000 Leones is 100 US dollars. If it's Leones, maybe it could be true.
Wit: Not Yeaten's address....Behind Taylor's house, in front of Yeaten's house.
Def: Did Issa Sesay take diamonds to Charles Taylor?
Wit: One that I know about. He and I made a trip. Joe Tuoh used to go with him.
Def: You spoke of an occasion when you went with Bockarie to disarm some UN soldiers. When was that?
Wit: When Issa was in control of RUF. Taylor ordered us and we were reinforced with manpower and enough ammos, and we carried out the disarmament in Freetown. Issa Sesay came.
Def: You said Bockarie. Did you go with Bockarie to disarm some UN forces?
Wit: Bockarie was not in Sierra Leone during the UN deployment. It was Issa who was in Sierra Leone during the UN deployment. No, I did not go with Bockarie to disarm UN forces.
Def: You told us Wednesday you did.
Wit: No, I told you I went with Bockarie to disarm ECOMOG troops earlier in Sierra Leone.
Def: You told us about a massacre at Carter Camp at Harbel. Are you aware that the UN conducted an investigation of that and that the investigation found that the forces responsible were the Armed Forces of Liberia?
Wit: I told you about the massacre.
Def: You suggested Taylor was responsible?
Wit: Yes.
Def: Were you aware that there was a UN investigation that found the AFL to be responsible?
Wit: I know about it, but I had no alternative to say any other thing. I could not get up during his administration and say it was the NPFL. I would have been dealt with.
Def: So you assumed he must be responsible because it was during the administration of Charles Taylor?
Wit: I'll tell you the truth. The massacre was a directive from Charles Taylor.
Def: You're just willing to attribute any bad thing that happened to Charles Taylor?
Wit: No. I'm here to tell the truth. I can't say any other thing about my former leader.
Def: (references document): "witness stated Taiwanese used to send arms, ammunition and uniforms through Gus Kouwenhouven. The ships docked further out at sea." Is that right?
Wit: It's right, but it wasn't the Port of Monrovia. It was Buchanan. The boats would come and take the arms and ammunition, then load the ships with timber.
Def: How did you come to know about this?
Wit: I told you - I was chief of operations under Taylor. Even before then, he and I and very few others passed through.
Def: (displays a photo to the court)
Wit: I recall an old man who used to wear shades. This is the man who used to be at Buchanan port.
Def: You met him there? You picked up arms from him?
Wit: Yes, so many times.
Def: How many times?
Wit: I met Mr. Gus at Buchanan Port, even though I can't recall the dates, it could be more than ten times. I was supposed to go on assignment with him. I made so many trips with him. I can't explain them all. This man and another tall, big man with a big stomach - I saw this man and the other man move together.
Def: How many trips did that man make on ships bringing arms and ammunition into Buchanan?
Wit: I was not present for all these trips.
Def: How many times did you meet him in Buchanan Port?
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