26 April, 2008

Adolphus Williams
Reporting from the Court Room in The Hague

Prosecution 23rd Witness Almamy B Sesay under Cross Examination

Charles Taylor`s lawyers in the 4-month-old war crimes trial of the Ex-Liberian President have rejected a prosecution witness testimony suggesting the meeting between the AFRC delegation and Taylor in 1999 in Monrovia was part of Taylor`s secret connection with the rebels.

Witness, Almamy Bobson Sesay testified Thursday he was part of an AFRC meeting with Taylor in the Executive Mansion during which Taylor provided them $15,000, strengthening prosecution allegation that Taylor controlled and financed the rebels` operations.

During cross examination Friday, Defence Lawyer, Morris Anyan said the AFRC/Taylor meeting was, in fact, requested by ECOWAS and arranged by the governments of Sierra Leone and Liberia.

Morris Anyan reading from the records of Sesay`s initial testimony to prosecution investigators, he said it was the government of Sierra Leone that facilitated the travel of the 11-man AFRC delegation to Liberia to meet with Taylor as a peace facilitator.

Anyan said the rebels had demanded guarantees that they will not be arrested in Liberia during the meeting with Taylor.

On the question of the 15 thousand United States dollars given by Taylor, Defence lawyer Anyan questioned the witness whether the money given by the Former President was to be used to buy arms?

Taylor`s lawyer Anyan said Taylor`s mediation later moved Kabbah to reconsider the exclusion of the AFRC in the Peace Accord.

The cross examination of Sesay continues next week after the weekend break by the court.

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