Funso Muraina
3 December 2008
Abuja — Adequate compensation awaits Nigerian victims of the war crimes committed by former Liberian President, Charles Taylor, if he is convicted next year by the special court sitting in The Haque.
The Chief Prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, Mr. Stephen Rapp, disclosed this in Abuja yesterday while addressing journalists.
He said assets owned by Taylor were being traced across the world.
He explained that assets recovered from Taylor would be paid to the Liberian government to be used as compensation for victims of the war who come forward to make claims.
According to him, the United Nations plans to establish a victim compensation fund for victims of the civil war in Liberia and Sierra Leone.
Some Nigerians, who were residents of Liberia were victims of the war. Some had their hands amputated.
Rapp said that there were reports showing Nigeria had supported efforts to bring Taylor to justice which contradicted the report that Nigerian government was not cooperating with a team of experts set up by the United Nations Security Council to trace assets belonging to Taylor.
"Since the first days of the court, the government of Nigeria has given us full support," he said.
Taylor is facing 11-count charge of crimes against humanity and war crimes involving murder, mutilation, rape, terror against civilians, enslavement, pillage and the use of child soldiers.
Rapp said that the evidence presented against Taylor at the Hague showed that no one was more responsible for the suffering he allegedly caused in sierra Leone.
"The prosecution has nearly completed its case against Taylor, with over 80 witnesses having testified. Once we close our case in the new year, the defence will begin the presentation of its evidence, and judgment is expected sometime in 2009, to be followed by an appeal," he said.
According to him, Taylor's trial is both a concrete example and a symbol of a turning point for the region.
"Few thought he would ever see the inside of a courtroom. But the world refused to allow him escape justice. Government from across Africa and around the globe were part of the effort to have Taylor brought to trial," he added.
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Thank you Zota. The whiteman think that we are stupid around here. I have been following the entire case from the start and found out that this whole case is just a mockery to justice. This case is just a makeup so as to prove the whiteman continueued supremacy over blackman. If the whiteman can decorate Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who ordered Charles Taylor to level down Monrovia with medals, adwards and let her go free, than of course Mr Rapp level of education is questionable. Or the Institution that Mr. Rapp learned his laws from is questionable. I guessed justice… [Read Full Text]
Although, Somebody may say that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is not a Whitewoman, but was used as an example. Very true. The socalled Whiteman justice system is not applicable to Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf today, because she is working for the whiteman/kissing the whiteman butt and not working for the Liberians. Let us take for an example, I have never ever seen/heard in the wholewide world for a leader of a sovereign nation to ask another leader for permission to business with other countries; but Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf did by asking Mr. Bush as to whether it was permissible for her to do business with… [Read Full Text]
My brother, and I mean that in the military sense, you should not be surprised. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a soupist.
Bottom line: we don't care about any clap trap about Harvard 'educated' CLAP TRAP, and worse, given the current economic DOMBOLO, Citigroup association.
Soupist insignia, I say: all for them, nothing for the captured populations of the territories they occupy.
Regards.
Of setting the record straight, the Ellen government was during business with China before Bush's visit to Liberia. To the author of the aforesaid comment, I would like for you to go and do your research before making an allegation against President Sirleaf. After your research, you will know that her government was during business with China before Bush's visit to Liberia.
Mr Rapp continues to drum up support in West Africa by telling our people that they will be compensated adequately if Mr Taylor is convicted. (Adequately compensated is subjective). Mr Rapp is giving our people false hope. Most of our people are illiterate, by telling them that they will be compensated if Mr Taylor is found guilty is unethical. Due to the level of education, our people will not have the capacity to distinguish between fiction and fact. In other words, if Mr Taylor is not guilty our people will still expect to be compensated because the white man said… [Read Full Text]