Hague Testimonies Contradict Campbell's Claim in Liberia War Crimes Trial
Photo: AP
American Actress Mia Farrow has testified at the war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. She told the court at The Hague that in 1997 supermodel Naomi Campbell claimed to have been given a large diamond by Mr. Taylor after a dinner party hosted by Nelson Mandela. Campbell's former agent Carole White also testified. Farrow's and White's testimonies contradict Campbell's statements given last week.
What Farrow told the court
Actress Mia Farrow was questioned by the court about the events surrounding a dinner party hosted by Nelson Mandela in 1997.
Farrow said during breakfast the following morning, fellow guest Naomi Campbell told her that Charles Taylor had sent her a diamond during the night.
"She [Naomi Campbell] said that in the night she had been awakened, some men were knocking at the door, and they had been sent by Charles Taylor, and they had given her a huge diamond."
What White told the court
Campbell's former agent Carole White also testified Monday. She said Charles Taylor had told Campbell over dinner that he would give her a diamond.
Both testimonies contradict what Naomi Campbell told the court last week.
AP
What Campbell said
Campbell said she had been given a "few dirty pebbles" in the middle of the night. But she stopped short of saying she had known they were from Mr. Taylor.
Taylor denies having given diamonds to the supermodel.
Accusations against Taylor
Charles Taylor is on trial for his alleged role in Sierra Leone's decade long civil war.
The prosecution says that Mr. Taylor - then president of Liberia -- controlled rebel forces in Sierra Leone who raped, murdered, and mutilated thousands of civilians.
Diamonds are central to the case. The prosecution says Mr. Taylor traded diamonds mined in Sierra Leone for weapons, which he smuggled into the country.
Prosecutors say the gift that Mr. Taylor allegedly gave to Campbell links him to so-called "blood diamonds".
Conflicting testimony
Although the three witnesses have varying accounts of the events 13 years ago, police in South Africa say the stones given to Campbell are diamonds.
Campbell had given the stones to then head of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Jeremy Ratcliffe, who recently handed them to police.
"Yes, they are real diamonds. We cannot tell whether they are 'blood diamonds' or not," said police spokesperson Musa Zondi. "That will be part of the investigation because you still need people to say "Yes, I know these diamonds; these are diamonds which were given to me."
Celebrity central
The appearance at The Hague of international celebrities has turned the world's attention to Mr. Taylor's trial.
Campaigners say it has helped to shine a spotlight on the violent consequences of the trade in illicit diamonds - a spotlight they hope will remain even after the celebrities have left.
Charles Taylor has been charged by the Special Tribunal for Sierra Leone with 11 war crimes charges, including murder, rape, sexual enslavement and recruiting child soldiers. He has pleaded not guilty on all counts.
More than 100,000 people were left dead after Sierra Leone's Civil War, which ended in 2002.
Comments (12)
Anyone who would believe the dirtbag Campbell needs their heads looked into. She probably plucked the biggest diamond out of the package and gave the rest to charity. What a low life dirt bag that woman is.
Well, I guess in today's world, Mia's a racist now, right?
Naomi Cambell is a lying self centered brat. Did anyone expect the truth out of her foul mouth?
But Naomi Campbell is one of the beautiful people and the law doesn't concern her or torture or killing or rape or ..... BTW, Naomi, your hair is falling out dear!
Most if not every body in Liberia & Sierra Leone including Mr. Taylor & Issa Sesay know Taylor was the principal actor in Sierra Leone.He was the chief according to Sam Bockarie.
Who really cares what either one said!
Since VOA doesn't seem too up to date, Mia later said that she was incorrect in her assertation that it was one large diamond, and blamed it on exhaustion. Carole White on the other hand hates Campbell's guts, so....
Blood diamonds, yes, absolutely right.
I do think Campbell,had told the truth,when she said two men call at her hotel room and said the stones were sent to her by Taylor, this point one cannot be sure if this is so. As for the evidence given by Mia Farrow and Carole White,I do think it is questionable, the merrit of their testamony.
Ms. Campbell is a bimbo. How in the world she, a black woman female from Jamica can open her mouth to say she had never heard of Liberia-that is so ignorant. She said they were "dirty stones" knowing the character of this woman, someone wakes her up during the night and hands her some "dirty rock" won't she be slapping them back to glory. She is a liar and a ignorant creature.
can two unknown men knock on a woman's door at the middle of the night,she opens her door to strangers,collect gift from strangers and goes back to sleep?something is wroung here.
it is obvious that Naomi Campbell is lying about 2 unknown men arriving unexpectedly at her door in the middle of the night. The main door was bolted on the inside so how could they enter the building? Also nobody of sound mind would open her bedroom door in the middle of the night unless the visit was expected. In which case she knew what was happening and from whom the gift came. She has committed perjury.
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UN-backed court at The Hague to testify in a war crimes trial against Taylor.  Actress  and Carole White have testified in former-Liberian president Charles Taylor's war crimes trial at the  for Sierra Leone in The Hague, The Netherlands.

Farrow and White's testimonies contradict supermodel 's testimony from last week.

White said Campbell was "mildly flirtatious" with Taylor at a dinner in South Africa in 1997. Taylor, she alleged, told Campbell he would send her diamonds. White continued to say Campbell communicated with Taylor and awaited the diamond. Campbell was "very excited" about the diamonds according to White.

"Taylor's men came in and they sat down in the lounge and we sat opposite them... they then took out a quite scruffy paper and they handed it to Miss Campbell and said 'these are the diamonds.'"

Farrow claimed Campbell told her Taylor received diamonds in the middle of the night. She testified, "Campbell said that in the night she had been awakened, some men were knocking at the door, and they had been sent by Charles Taylor, and they had given her a huge diamond."

Last week in Campbell's testimony, she did not know who sent her diamonds, but testified her then-agent White told her who probably sent the diamonds. White and Farrow testified Campbell said the diamonds were from Taylor. She claims she gave the diamonds to Jeremy Ractliffe who gave them to police.

Police spokesperson Musa Zondi confirms Ractliffe had uncut diamonds. "Yes, they are real diamonds.  We cannot tell whether they are '' or not. That will be part of the investigation," Zondi said.

Taylor faces eleven counts for violating international law including, murder, rape, sexual slavery, enlistment of children under the age of fifteen, pillaging, enslavement, and "outrages upon personal dignity."

Taylor allegedly traded "blood diamonds" for weapons and supplying the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) of Sierra Leone with weapons during the . This war conscripted child soldiers, an international crime. The prosecutors for the Special Court say Taylor trained the rebels and had them rape, murder, mutilate, and decapitate the civilians of Sierra Leone. Over 100,000 people died in the Sierra Leonean civil war. Taylor plead not guilty to all charges.
 
Linking the blood diamonds, used to support the RUF, to Taylor is a high priority for the prosecution.