Top defender at former Liberian leader’s war-crimes trial visits SAfrica, site of diamond drop
By APThursday, September 16, 2010
Charles Taylor’s war-crimes lawyer in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG — Charles Taylor’s defense team says the chief lawyer representing the former Liberian president at his war crimes trial is visiting South Africa.
A defense team spokeswoman said Thursday that Courtenay Griffiths is in Johannesburg but gave no further details. Griffiths had expressed interest in meeting officials around Africa, possibly to testify at Taylor’s Netherlands-based trial at the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
In August, supermodel Naomi Campbell told the court Taylor gave her several diamonds in South Africa in 1997. Taylor has denied involvement in the diamond trade.
Taylor says he is innocent of 11 war-crimes charges linked to allegations he supported rebels during Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war, which ended in 2002 with an estimated 100,000 dead.
