Ise-Oluwa Ige
3 December 2008
Victims of atrocities committed by former Liberian President, Charles Taylor may receive compensation if the former warlord is convicted.
Stephen Rapp, the Chief Prosecutor of Taylor at The Hague, Netherlands, made the disclosure during a press conference in Abuja.
Rapp who hailed the role played by the Federal Government to arrest Taylor said that assets owned by Taylor were being traced across the globe.
Rapp explained that the assets recovered from Taylor would be handed over to 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.
Meanwhile, contrary to earlier reports 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, Rapp said that there were reports showing that Nigeria had been very supportive of efforts to bring Taylor to justice.
He said, "since the first day of the court, the government of Nigeria has given us full support".
"Its representative at the United Nations has served on our management committee and it has made financial contributions.
Taylor was charged with 11 counts touching on crimes against humanity and war crimes involving murder, mutilations, rape, terror against civilians, enslavement, pillage and the use of child soldiers.
Rapp said that the evidence that has been presented against Taylor at the Hague showed that no one was more responsible for the suffering caused in Sierra Leone.
He said "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.
According to him, Taylor's trial is both a concrete example and a symbol of a turning point for the region.
"Few thoughts he would ever see the inside of a courtroom. But the world refused to allow him escape justice," he added.
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