Charles Taylor did not have any knowledge of plans by rebel forces to invade Sierra Leone in 1991, he told told Special Court for Sierra Leone judges in The Hague today. In rebuffing prosecution charges that he was a key planner in the major rebel attack on his neighboring country during its 11-year conflict, Mr. Taylor dismissed the allegations as "lies."
"I did not know of any prior plans for the invasion of Sierra Leone in 1991," the accused former Liberian president said today.
Mr. Taylor was responding to the evidence of a protected prosecution witness who testified in 2008 that Mr. Taylor was part of a common plan with Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels to invade Sierra Leone. For purposes of protecting the witness's identity, a huge portion of today's hearings was held in closed session.
In his 2008 testimony, the witness said that in February 1991, he saw Mr. Taylor and RUF leader Foday Sankoh in a convoy. When they got to the Liberian town of Voinjama, they made plans for the RUF to invade Sierra Leone, the witness had testified. The witness further said that he personally sat with Mr. Taylor and discussed the invasion of Sierra Leone.
Dismissing the witness's account as a lie, Mr. Taylor told the court that by February 1991, he had not yet gone to Voinjama.
"It's a lie. I had not even gone from Kakata to Gbangha and so I would not have moved to Voinjama," Mr. Taylor said. "There is no way you can get to Voinjama except you go through Gbangha."
The witness testified to being present at Voinjama in 1991, where he said Mr. Taylor and and Mr. Sankoh developed a strategy to attack Sierra Leone from Voinjama, Vahun and Zimmi. Mr. Taylor denied the witness's claim.
"May be he saw a ghost of someone looking like Charles Taylor, its all a lie," he said. "I was never present there. I never discussed any strategies or plans with Sankoh because I was not there."
Mr. Taylor further denied the witness's allegations that he (Taylor) dominated the meeting where the plan to attack Sierra Leone in 1991 was discussed.
"How would I dominate a meeting that I never attended?" he asked. "How can I dominate a meeting when I'd never gone through military training?"
The witness' testimony reinforced prosecution allegations that Mr. Taylor was part of a common plan and purpose with the RUF to attack Sierra Leone in March 1991 and that throughout the duration of the 11-year conflict in Sierra Leone, Mr. Taylor exercised some control or influence over the RUF. The prosecution further alleges that Mr. Taylor supplied arms and ammunition to RUF rebels and that all diamonds mined by the RUF were taken to Mr. Taylor in Liberia. Mr. Taylor has denied these allegations.
Mr. Taylor today also told the court how he executed four of his National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) Generals for conniving against him and helping the RUF in attacking Sierra Leone. The four men who were executed were Sam Lato, Oliver Vanney, Anthony Menkunagbe and Sam Towah.
"They put together a group called Black Ghadafa, an anti-NPFL group planning later on to kill me and destroy the leadership of the NPFL," Mr. Taylor said. "They were arrested and it was at that investigation that it comes out that they were involved with Foday Sankoh. That is why they were killed."
Several prosecution witnesses who claimed they were forcefully recruited when the RUF invaded Sierra Leone in 1991 had mentioned the names of these executed Generals as part of the group(s) that recruited and trained them in Sierra Leone. These men, they said, were Liberians.
Mr. Taylor's testimony continues tomorrow.
Comments 1 to 5 of 20 Post a comment
Judge Aki,Your Honour Sir,Mr Taylor is blatantly lying to this Special Court.By 1991 rebel lord Charles Taylor was in control of all the gate ways of Liberia to neighbouring countries of Ivory Coast,Guinea and Sierra Leone.His rebel forces were the fastest rebel group to reach the capital than any rebel group in Africa to have reach there own capitals.
Secondly,Charles Taylor didn't executed Oliver Varney and others due to their involvement in the invasion of Sierra Leone.Let Taylor check his memory box properly.There is some "shock" in the electrical line of Taylor's brains. Is Taylor prepared to tell us again, about the death of "one men one"or one man one?
Judge Aki,I decline from any further questions on this topic.I wait another subject.
You're very right on your comments. Charles Taylor just telling a dress up lies in the Hague. If those judges believe all his dress up line they could be the stupidest judges I have ever seen in my life. Will Charles Taylor just tell the world's of his crime he has committed to innccent people in both Liberia and Sierria Leone. His rebel's was the fastest in the Liberian war and they had the power to enter anywhere at anytime. Can Charles Taylor tell the court his house in Congo Town "White Floor" was the killing and planning ground in the Republic of Liberia? Can Charles Taylor once again tell the court his house is where he use to kill his govermnet offical when they failed to follow his instruction? Where about those people he put under house arrest, and we never see where they went? I am just sick and tired of this Charles Taylor and his trail in the Hague. Charles Taylor is a felon why can't he just say well I commited those crime or his he afraid to go England to facing his jail term there? I hope those judges won't let Mr. Charles Taylor the "Bad Man" goes free or else there could be a problem for the Liberian nation and the mano river region because he will be like a come back and I know for sure you can't play with Charles Taylor president position if you does well that's the end of your life. Liberia is not that safe before telling about Charles Taylor going free and coming back to Liberia. The International Community know that Liberia is not that safe because we still have those warlord that participated in the Liberian war are still in the Liberian Governmet and their eyes are on the president position and some of them still have their gunz undercover and just waiting to let go. Again the international community know very well that Liberia is not that safe that's why they extended the United Nation Mission in Liberia for the coming 2010 election. I hope they should always extends the Peacekeeping in Liberia for all our election in the future but I dare you if those guy's leave the country that's where our trouble going to start from again because he have lot of hungry Policitian in the country and just waiting for the peacekeer to leave the country. As for Prince Johnson who is currently heading the Senior senator seat he's a bomb and a very wicked man that killed lot of people and then passing around in the country freely and telling TRC what to do instead of the TRC calling names of those who was responsible for the war and he knows that his name is put for our problems but all he has to do is treating innocent people. So Liberian watch out because those bad guy's can come out of their shell at anytime. Diana New Castle, England.
You're very right on your comments. Charles Taylor just telling a dress up lies in the Hague. If those judges believe all his dress up liee they could be the stupidest judges I have ever seen in my life. Will Charles Taylor just tell the world's of his crime he has committed to innccent people in both Liberia and Sierria Leone? Charles Taylor rebel's was the fastest in the Liberian conflict and they had the power to enter anywhere at anytime. Can Charles Taylor tell the court his house in Congo Town "White Floor" was the killing and planning ground in the Republic of Liberia? Can Charles Taylor once again tell the court his house is where he use to kill his govermnet offical when they refused to follow his instructions? Where about those people he put under house arrest, and that we never saw or heard where they went?(They were killed). I am just sick and tired of this Charles Taylor and his trail in the Hague. Charles Taylor is a felon why can't he just say well I commited those crime or his he afraid to go to England to facing his jail term there? I hope those judges won't let Mr. Charles Taylor the "Bad Guy" goes free or else there could be a problem for the Liberian nation and the mano river region, because he will be like a come back, and I know for sure you can't play with Charles Taylor president position if you does well that's the end of your life. Liberia is not that safe before telling about Charles Taylor going free and coming back to Liberia. The International Community know very well that Liberia is not that safe and we still have those warlord that participated in the Liberian conflict. They are still in the Liberian Governmet and their eyes are on the president position and some of them still have their gunz undercover and just waiting to arm their boyz. Again the international community know very well that Liberia is not that safe that's why they extended the United Nation Mission in Liberia for the coming 2010 election. I hope they should always extends the Peacekeeping mission in Liberia for all our elections in the near by future, but I dare you if the peacekeeping troops leave the country that's where our trouble going to start from again.There're lots of hungry Policitian in the country tha's just waiting for the peacekeer to leave the country and then start to bring trouble. As for Prince Johnson who is currently heading the Senior senator seat he's a bomb and a very wicked man that killed lot of people and then passing around in the country freely and telling TRC what to do. Why This Prince Johnson man should tell the TRC not to put up names that was responsible for the Liberian conflict, because he know his name is going to be put up for all the problems he has committed but all he has to do is threating innocent people and telling them what to do. So Liberian watch out because those bad guy's can come out of their shell at anytime. Diana(New Castle, England).
Well,diana,I can assure you 100% that no mongrel will never and ever terrorize the people of Sierra Leone anymore.We're prepared as ever before to face any one calling himself a war lord,a fighter lord or whatever he/she maybe.Enough is enough.Insignificant people or bandits will never dream of such anymore.If Sierra Leone have to release those hardcore remaining bandits on anyone for the defense of the Sierra Leonean people,we'll do it with no hesitation,whatsoever.
Let there be peace with our neighbours,as our Governments are completely doing very well.We in Sierra Leone hail such a peaceful co-existence as a one that was needed from the 80's of Doe to Taylor.Now the 20009 under Ellen Johnson,is the best the sub-region has seen.Let's keep it up to this point.
Ttahs, If you are so sure of your facts you should have volunteered to be a prosecution witness. If this would have happened Courtenay Griffiths would have alot to tease his half Sierra Leonean wife about. Something to the effect " You see how I made a mockery of one of your people on the witness stand" Only joking with you since I myself have some Sierra Leonean blood running thru my viens.
See All Comments