Mia Farrow's War Crimes Testimony Contradicts Naomi Campbell
American Actress Mia Farrow testified Monday at the war crimes trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor. She told the court at The Hague that supermodel Naomi Campbell claimed in1997 to have been given a large diamond by Mr. Taylor after a dinner party hosted by Nelson Mandela. However, Farrow's testimony contradicts Campbell's own evidence given last week.
The court questioned actress Mia Farrow about the events surrounding a dinner party hosted by Nelson Mandela in 1997.
The morning after the party, she said, fellow guest Naomi Campbell told her that Charles Taylor had sent her a diamond in 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," Mia Farrow said.
Campbell's former agent Carole White also testified Monday. She told the court that Mr. Taylor had promised Campbell the diamonds over dinner.
Both White and Farrow contradicted what Naomi Campbell told the court last week.
She said she had been given what she called "a few dirty pebbles" in the middle of the night. And she stopped short of saying she had known they were from Mr. Taylor.
Mr. 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
Prosecutors say Mr. Taylor traded diamonds mined in Sierra Leone for weapons, which he smuggled into the country.
They say the gift given to Campbell links him to these so-called "blood diamonds".
Although the three witnesses have varying accounts of the events 13 years ago, police in South Africa say the stones given to Campbell that night are, in fact, diamonds.
Campbell had given the stones to then head of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund Jeremy Ratcliffe, who recently handed them over to police.
"Yes, they are real diamonds," Police Spokesperson Musa Zondisaid. "We cannot tell whether they are 'blood diamonds' or not. 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.'"
The appearance at The Hague of international celebrities has turned the world's attention to Mr. Taylor's trial. Human rights activists 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.
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.