Prince Taylor, a former Defense investigator with the Special Court, was convicted on Friday on five contempt counts for interfering with witnesses who had testified in the trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor.

According to a release from the special court, four of the counts for which he was convicted related to attempts by Taylor to induce former Prosecution witnesses, through Eric Koi Senessie, to recant testimony they had given before the Court.

The fifth count related to "instructing and otherwise persuading Eric Senessie to give false information to the Independent Counsel appointed by the Registrar on the order of Trial Chamber II" at a time when he was a potential Prosecution witness.

Senessie, a former RUF member who was convicted in June 2012 on eight counts of interference with the same witnesses, gave testimony against Prince Taylor at his trial.

Taylor was acquitted on four counts of offering a bribe to witnesses to induce them to recant their testimony.

A sentencing judgement will be scheduled at a later date.

The Special Court is an independent tribunal established jointly by the United Nations and the Government of Sierra Leone. It is mandated to bring to justice those who bear the greatest responsibility for atrocities committed in Sierra Leone after 30 November 1996.