Concord Times (Freetown)
Ibrahim Tarawallie
26 March 2009
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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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… [Read Full Text]
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… [Read Full Text]
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.
We need allies like you, my friend; accordingly, I'll hold my lethal rhetorical bullets.
First, you completely misunderstand my post: "dude" in the mentioned post refers to the mouthpiece, the hired gun of Taylor, Grif, whatever.
Accordingly, I was attacking the hired gun, not defending him. A misunderstanding, therefore.
This much I would reveal about 'me': 'I' do not reside in Soupist Sierra Leone, although I do visit, not as a "JC" or, in our lexicon, "maroon," but as a REVOLUTIONARY, as a sworn enemy of INVADER BRITAIN and its invader seeded structure: the SOUPIST STRUCTURE.
If… [Read Full Text]
I don't need to go to the Zimbabwe chart room.But as a brother I do here by say sorry if I misunderstood your post.Idiomatic expressions sometimes gives me a problem,cause I don't know school.Again as a brother I advise that you stay positive.Don't support that moroon lawyer Griffith.
I'm glad that you are paying frequent visit to see mama salone.That is an idea that I welcome and praise you for.No matter what happens we must not forget mama salone.If possible we must defend her from all permanent strangers and foreigners.
It maybe of interest to this forum to know that Courtenay Griffith's wife is half Sierra Leonenean and half Irish.
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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.