2 April 2008
document
The trial of former President Charles Taylor entered its second day yesterday following a two-week recess. Before then, several witnesses took the stand and testified against the former president, linking him to cannibalism and many other offenses.
Now is the time for them (witnesses) to face both the defense and prosecution in cross-examination. Yesterday, prosecution began cross-examining one of the witnesses, Isaac Mongor, and now the defense of Charles Taylor is in the driver seat.
But judging from the chronology of his testimony, the defense appeared doubtful of the truthfulness of the claims. The Analyst leaves through the latest from the Trial Chamber in The Hague.
Charles Taylor Defense has cast doubt on Mongor's claim that Taylor sent him to the RUF. Defense Counsel Terry Munyard expressed doubts during cross-examination of prosecution witness Isaac Mongor:
Beginning his inquiries, Defense Counsel Terry Munyard asked: "Mr. Taylor's broadcast on the BBC about Sierra Leone tasting the bitterness of war was made in November 1990, not the middle.
You're just using that as an excuse for why you were selected to train the RUF," but witness Mongor responded by disagreeing with Munyard. His expression of disagreement brought in Judge Doherty to ask: "Which part do you disagree with?"
In response, witness Mongor said he disagreed that the broadcast was in November - that is what I disagree with.
At the same time, the Defense team of Mr. Taylor says prosecution witness Isaac Mongor was never with Taylor in 1990 as he claimed in his testimony. Mongor had told the court that he was with Taylor during the virgin days of the revolution.
Def: Yesterday I was asking about your initial involvement with the NPFL. You said you had been captured in Nimba County, but didn't know the name of the village. Can you say where in Nimba County the village is?
Wit: I don't know the name of the village.
Def: What part of Nimba?
Wit: On the road that goes towards the Ivory Coast border.
Def: Is this where you were trading?
Wit: Yes, that was the road I used when I was going and coming back.
Def: There is one main trading road that goes from Nimba County into Ivory Coast, isn't there?
Wit: Not a single main road. There were roads that entered Ivory Coast.
Def: The two principal roads that enter Ivory Coast are in the north - one near Yekepa.
Wit: That's not the one I'm talking about.
Def: You're talking about the one at Logatuo, aren't you? You know Logatuo - that's the main trading road?
Follow the rest of the excerpts from the cross-examination
Def: I have a detailed map available of the part of Nimba County that I was asking about this morning. [Distributes copies to the judges, prosecutors and the witness.] This is a map of the north-eastern part of Nimba County, where Nimba County borders Côte d'Ivoire. Do you see the town of Borpleh, here spelled Gborpleh?
Wit: Yes.
Def: If you go up along the border, the next town you come to is Loguatuo. That's the border town we were talking about, right? You told us this morning that you were captured somewhere between them, right?
Wit: Yes.
Def: Look back at Borpleh, and then look down at the town of Butuuo.
Wit: I see it.
Def: Using this map, I suggest to you that the area between Borpleh and Loguatuo was not captured by the NPFL until some months after they first invaded through Butuuo. What do you say about that?
Wit: (laughs) I'm laughing because you said it was 1990. In 1990, that was now at the rear of the NPFL. There was no fighting in that area. It doesn't mean I was laughing at your question. I disagree with you.
Def: I want to make clear to you that I suggest what happened is: after Borpleh, the NPFL moved south to Tapeta. Then some time after that, the NPFL moved further south to Buchanan. Do you agree?
Wit: I did not disagree with the fact that the NPFL ever went to Buchanan. The particular group I fought with didn't go to Buchanan. The NPFL was divided in groups. There was a group that went from Tapeta to Buchanan. There was another group that went from Ganta to Gbarnga.
Def: Mr. Taylor went from Tapeta to Buchanan. I suggest he was not in Ganta or Gbarnga at all in 1990.
Wit: I disagree.
Def: From there he went to Harbel and was there for some time. Only when Gbarnga was safe and secure did he go there in late 1991. By that time you were in Sierra Leone.
Wit: I don't agree with your suggestion at all.
Def: You say you fought in Bong Mines. Who was the commander there?
Wit: Prince Quiwonkpa.
Def: Who was the commander in Kakata?
Wit: It was we and Pa Zobia. There was Francis Miawon (sp?)
[Munyard confers with Taylor.]
Def: Earlier I said that Cassius Jacobs wasn't commander of the bodyguard until 1994. I got that wrong - it was 1993. But by then you were well out of Liberia?
Wit: I was not there at that time.
Def: You said you were chosen to train the RUF because Taylor didn't want Special Forces training them. In fact there was a man called Gonkenu or Gunkenu [sp?] or Gungenu or something like that among the trainers. Do you recall that?
Wit: I know that name.
Def: He was a member of the Special Forces who was training the RUF in Camp Nama, wasn't he?
Wit: He was not Special Forces.
Def: How do you know?
Wit: I was together with him.
Def: Who were Special Forces?
Wit: Those who trained in Burkina Faso and Libya - the ones who brought the war.
Def: What about Gio Devil?
Wit: Gio Devil - I know that name.
Def: He was in the Special Forces who was training the RUF in Camp Nama, wasn't he?
Wit: Gio Devil never trained RUF at Camp Nama.
Def: Let's move to your involvement with the RUF. Your friend, John Karboh, introduced you to Foday Sankoh?
Wit: I knew Sankoh to be one of the Special Forces to be present on the Executive Ground. I later knew him through John Kargboh, one of my friends. They were tribesmen.
Def: It was Kargboh who introduced you?
Wit: I knew him before.
Def: Which Mansion ground is this that you say you knew Sankoh from?
Wit: Gbarnga, at the Executive Ground. I used to see him go with Taylor at the front line. I didn't know him as Foday Sankoh.
Def: What did you call him?
Wit: Pa Morlai.
Def: You told us that Sankoh had a special relationship with Taylor because Taylor helped get him out of prison in Ghana.
Wit: Yes, I said that.
Def: When is it that you say that Foday Sankoh was in prison in Ghana?
Wit: Foday Sankoh did not give me a particular date. He said it was before they went to Libya to train. He told me Taylor fought to get his release.
Def: When did Sankoh tell you this?
Wit: In Camp Nama.
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