Freetown — Lead defense counsel for former Liberia president Charles Taylor has revealed in Freetown that his client indeed supported Foday Sankoh and the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in their rebellion in Sierra Leone but only for 18 months.
Courtenay Griffiths told journalists at the Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA) yesterday that the Special Court indictee assisted the RUF with arms and ammunition and manpower at the start of the rebellion.
"We accept the fact that he was involved with the RUF at the start of the war but his support only lasted for 18 months," Griffiths said.
He said according to the statutes of the Special Court, the tribunal was empowered to try offences committed in Sierra Leone between 1996 to 2002, noting that his client's indictment covers the Economic Community of West Africa Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) intervention and the Freetown invasion of January 6, 1999.
Griffiths said the prosecution's evidence against the former warlord was based "on lies and lies based on money" adding, "The prosecution has never suggested that Taylor was in Sierra Leone during the 11-year war."
"The trial of Charles Taylor is not about law but politics. There is lot of pressure on the court to hand down verdicts that will please its financiers. We are not given up the fight because we are confident that we are on the right path," he maintained.
The defence counsel said the millions of dollars spent on witnesses to testify against his client should have been spent on improving the roads in the country.
"I urge Sierra Leoneans to watch carefully as we begin our defence case. We will be prepared to call on Taylor as our first witness in July," he said.
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I have followed the trial over the last year. The Prosecution has not proven a case against Mr. Taylor at all. No documentary proof of diamonds being sold by Mr. Taylor, No documentary proof of arms being bought by Mr. Taylor or sent to the RUF. Lastly not even the RUF leaders who were on trial ever said that Mr. Taylor supported them. If this case is about Justice and not politics the verdict is clear.
Yes,Courtenay Griffiths,slow we are heading to the truth.Now you are telling Journalists in Freetown that your "Client indeed supported Foday Sankoh and the Revolutionary United Front(RUF)in their rebellion in Sierra Leone but only for 18 months". Anyway,Courtenay,you have to defend your client to the best as your seven PhD's in Law from the Oxford University can carry you. I was so annoyed when I read your remarks you made in an interview with the BBC Mariama Khai Fornah.In your remarks you said,"It's those foreign countries who are busy funding the Special Court for Sierra Leone,and it's suppose to be done in order to promote the rule of law in West Africa,because of course West Africans don't understand what the law is.They have to be taught it by these foreigners.So consequently,as part of the 'enlightening process'let the Americans and the British put their hands in their pockets and help out the Liberian People so they can see justice being done". "West Africans don't understand what the law is" but they are proud, that they have got you on your heels from Jamaica to London and to the Hague.And now you are on your heels in Freetown.Courtesy of one West African,who don't "understand what the law is". We do not compromice the lives of Sierra Leoneans to the building or improving the roads in the country.We want to know who was responsible.Because left alone,Sierra leoneans cannot afford to buy big guns to kill their people.It's only that you all want to die rich,so you sponsored the RUF.You want to be like Bill Gate? Well, I suggest you go and ask him;how he did it? Don't tell us to watch your client? We're always watching,courtesy of the Sierra Leone Special Court. To my brother Aki, we'll leave you with your special follow-up of the trial.You can check with the Prosecutor for more details.
Is my Grifftith's assertion in evidence?
If it is not, it might form the predicate for his disbarment, for it would amount to misconduct: deliberately witholding evidence.
On the other hand, he might argue correctly that the defense does not have to prevent any evidence.
True, but neither is it allowed to produce 'evidence' in the court of public opinion?
Dude, you need to go back to law school or, at least, take a crash course in legal ethics.
Oh!today Grifftith have become your man.Here you are again,a man who developed the "CONCEPT OF SOUPISM" telling "die heart" Africans to support his views,but to himself,he hides behind the curtains by changing his identity from "jallohlaw to richerson88". Was it 1988 that you left the shores of Sierra Leone,where you trained young boys to chop the limbs of civilians? I see why you call Grifftith as your man,because he is defending the Professor of the limbs choppers. Dude, I don't need school for law.I do it the traditional way,as an African.You have been preaching to us that we must follow the African heritage way of doing things.Now you are telling me to follow the British or American Man's way of studing Law.Jallohlaw, be consistent. Mind you,the allegation of you training boys to chop hands was only alleged by one writer on the Gambia charts. So ,I do not hold you responsible.But if you try to support any of those 'blood suckers'then I'll believe the allegation,judging you by a typical African way.I see school as a waste because it preaches against your true African Traditions...where you richerson88,ran naked between huts and houses,whenever it was a "cats and dogs" rain.Dude, don't fool me with school!Change your way of writing then you can change your identity,and no one will see you.Come to Freetown and let's meet under our cuttin Tree.
Do you have a problem with the concept of soupism?Tttahs go to bed if you don't like it.We'll ring it in your ears in Africa.You are very hard to be tamed.
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