Family members of war crimes-arraigned former Liberian President Charles Taylor have alarmed over a latest alleged mandate from the UN backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, reportedly barring Mr. Taylor from speaking to his defense counsel for weeks as he takes that witness stand on June 29, 2009.
The spokesman of the former president's family, Sando Dazoe Johnson, told a news conference in Monrovia Tuesday that the UN backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, sitting in The Hague, has mandated that Taylor is barred from speaking to his Liberian-based legal team until the 25th of June, few days to his testimonies.
Mr. Johnson lamented that the "ruling denying accused former President Charles Taylor access to his legal team, who are supposed to guide him in the days leading to his taking of the witness stand until the 25 of June, 2009," was sheer injustice, noting that the family is terribly angry.
He said the Special Court has been and continues trying to deny Charles Taylor justice and fairs trial but the family is optimistic that Taylor will walk out of jail with flying colors and come back to his home soil.
Though this paper has got no official statement from the Special Court on the alleged mandate, Mr. Johnson said former President Taylor's second wife, Madam Victoria A. Taylor (Nigerian), who arrived in the country over the weekend, released the information to the family. She is the only one now allowed to speak to the former president.
"We want you and the Liberian people to exactly know what is happening to their former president who has been falsely accused without evidence for the past years," Mr. Johnson, who said the family is 'desperately angry and pushed against the wall,' stated.
The former Liberian leader was in 2004 charged with 17 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity by the Freetown Special Court for allegedly fomenting terror in neighboring Sierra Leone by supporting the dreaded Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in exchange of diamonds.
He was indicted by the special court in 2003, forced from power through international and local pressure and took refuge in Nigeria for nearly three years.
The Nigerian Government released him to its Liberian counterpart in 2006 after which he was brought home and arrested at the Robert International Airport by the Special Court. He spent several weeks in confinement in Freetown, Sierra Leone, before he was flown to The Hague in 2006 where he is facing trail.
The charges against Taylor have since been compressed to 11; several scores of prosecution witnesses, including his former vice president Moses Blah, have testified in the landmark case against him - a former African President.
His family's spokesman said as the former Liberian leader prepares to take the witness stand, the latest alleged decision by the court prosecuting him is highly sadistic.
From the time the indictment was served on former President Taylor to present, the international community has been running in confusion to gather up credible witnesses to testify against the accused, Mr. Johnson claimed.
He said their 32,000 plus page document was literally shredded by Taylor's defense team, rendering all of their witnesses invalid.
Hear him: "At this turning point in the history of this marathon trial, having informed the world that it is time to hear it all from the horse's mouth, the UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone ...has dramatically thrown a spanner in the works of transparent justice."
The Taylor's family argues that having found out that the case (against Taylor) has lost magnitude, they (court), at this eleventh hour, are saying that the accused should not speak to his counsels in Liberia until the 25th of June, which is just five days to Mr. Taylor taking the stand.
He terms it as a "clear tampering with justice," noting, "It is baffling that the United Nations that is supposed to be the highest instrument of justice in this world would deny an accused access to his defense team which is the only mean of exonerated himself."
Touching on recent statement by Information Minister Lawrence Bropleh that the Liberian Government will not spend a dime on Taylor's trial, Mr. Johnson urged Liberians "not take a man like Bropleh seriously because he has contradicted himself on numerous occasions."
Minister Bropleh was recently reacting to a call by Taylor's lead defense lawyer Courtenay Griffiths for the Liberian government to pay for television coverage of the trial for Liberians to witness the trial proceedings.
Minister Broplen said the Government would not spend a dime to provide television coverage because there were better things to do for the Liberian people than provide television coverage for Taylor's trial.
Bropleh said Liberians have forgotten about Taylor and were focusing on the rebuilding of their lives and broken nation after years of war, and Courtenay Griffiths did not know the priorities of the Liberian masses.
But Mr. Johnson said the Minister should not use the trial of former President Taylor 'to dodge the atrocities of theft that is being committed against the Liberian people.'
He said Bropleh did not have interest in the trial of the former Liberian President who is being unfairly treated, but was very concerned about his brother, Albert Bropleh, from the Liberian Telecommunications Authority who has been "pronounced a typical criminal by the UP-led government."
He claimed that the government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf played a major role in the arrest of the former president and is working, behind the scene, with the Special Court to ensure that Taylor does not survive the international conspiracy.
He said President Sirleaf was instrumental in the transfer of Taylor to the Special court because she wrote a 'secret letter to former Nigerian President Olusugon Abasanjo to turn Taylor over for trial.
President Sirleaf has, however repeatedly said that she hopes that Taylor will be given a fair and transparent trial.
Meanwhile Mr. Johnson says the Taylor's family is getting fed up with the way the trial at the Special Court is unfolding, and they are prepared to 'bounce back'.
Mr. Johnson said they are frustrated and angry and will definitely fight back, especially if Taylor is not accorded a fair trial as is being witnessed.
"If Taylor is not accorded justice we will bounce back detrimentally; let them give Taylor justice and the Liberian people peace," the former Bomi County lawmaker stated, but quickly clarified that their bouncing back will not be military or violent because "we are peaceful people."
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i fully and morally support Minister Broplen in his decision not to encourage the issue of taylor as a pre-occupation for the liberian people.our nation and its people got alots of problems to turn to than taylor trial.he TAYLOR have committed crimes and brought destructions to both liberia and sierra leone and he so let justice go ahead if whether taylor and his family like or not.taylor killed innocent women and children in the name of changes so let JOHNSON go to HELL and i want to remind JOHNSON that we got no interest in taylor issue and we are nomore stupid to be misled by criminal like he JOHNSON and his group of BANDITS.shame on you MR.JOHNSON,are you forgotten when you and taylor led a notorious group killing innocent liberian? the bloods of our innocents brothers and sisters is crying to GOD for revenge,the lord is slow but sure.taylor must face justic by all cost so dont dream of his coming back to liberia once again. MAY THE LORD BLESS OUR PRESIDENT,GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE OF LIBERIA AND LET PEACE AND LOVE LEAD OUR NATION INTO PROSPERITY-AMEN.
Taylor family members and Johnson, take your treat can go to hell.The Liberian people will not fall for your fear tatic. Johnson, you should have been arrested right on the spot.What a irresponsible statement "we will bounce back detrimentally" you stupid buffoon. I am not a supporter of Ellen J. Sirleaf,Samunel K. Doe, Charles G.Taylor or any warlord, but an Liberian first. Bring it on all you idiots.
look you johnson have ur mouth shout, and dont try to confused the liberian again.i describe you as a vandal, but i want to warn you that if you start ur foolish attitude for the second time, you will find it dificult to survived with ur entire familes,the issued of war is not something to boost of. I notice that you are not ready for anything, but i want to promised you a man as from now on, if there is anything i will observed like what you er thinking on, just have it in mine that none of ur famile wil live to tell the story. i only allowed you to live in liberia due to some reason, i mean peace.but if you do not observed the issued of peace in liberia i will put you to ur place for life.because you seem very stupid. and pls dont take urself as hero. kam45
I am not surprised with the behavior of most Liberian government officials towards former President Taylor, are you telling me that because you are an alleged criminal therefore you should not get fair trial? Give the man a fair trial and set the standard for international justice. The way Mr. Taylor will be treated will set the standard for negotiating with other alleged war criminals that are yet to be captured. Any act of unfairness to the ex-president will be detrimental to other crisis on the face of Africa. So wise up and put your personal problems aside and support good justice! Allow this man access to his legal team; it is his right, okay.
Is Taylor really innocent or should justice be circumvented on his behave for him to walk out of that court? I understand your anger, to you; it is not fair for Taylor alone to go through all this hardship, while other masterminds and senior citizens who orchestrated both wars sit innocently behind the scene. However, we all want to see justice being served to Taylor in a just manner. If you will consider a man innocent after killing your brother, sister, father and mother, only because he didnt kill you or your wife then your moral judgement should be questioned. If there is no credible evidence to prove Taylors involvement in Sierra Leone, those living testimonies of the Liberian war are enough to hid Taylor forever. This not a divorce or property theft case, we are talking about lives of thousands of poor innocent people that was brought to a scrutiny halt by Taylors influence and aiding of rebels groups in the Minor River basin. What kind of true justice do you really want to see besides Taylor going down come June 29th? Let Taylors wives and family use this time to reconcile with the victims in both countries instead of bluffing with war as if it is a better specialty. We are watching closely to see how this justice with be served. If Taylor goes down then 1 is down with hundreds to go.
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