According to a press release issued by the Special Court on Thursday, the motion, filed on January 31, 2012, requests that the defense be allowed to “re-open its case in order to seek admission of the Panel of Experts Report on Liberia.”

The motion relates to a December 7, 2011 Panel of Experts Report on Liberia that discusses the participation of Liberian mercenaries in the conflict in neighboring Ivory Coast. Taylor’s defense lawyers seek to submit in evidence Section III of the report titled “Liberian Mercenaries and Ivorian Militia.” This section, defense lawyers argue “describes the continuing phenomenon and underlying causes of mercenary activities in West Africa.”

According to defense lawyers, this section of the report supports the defense “private enterprise” theory that during Sierra Leone’s 11 year conflict, many fighters in Liberia exploited the conflict for personal gain.

The report, defense lawyers say, does not blame the current Liberian government for Liberian mercenaries crossing into Ivory Coast in 2010 and 2011 and this, they say, contrasts the prosecution’s argument that any fighters who fought in Sierra Leone and other neighboring countries were sent and controlled by Taylor while he served as Liberian president.

During the conduct of hearings in Taylor’s trial, witnesses, including those who were part of Taylor’s security apparatus, testified for the prosecution that the former Liberian president sent them to provide support to rebel forces in Sierra Leone. Some witnesses also testified about being sent by Taylor to fight in Ivory Coast and Guinea. Taylor, on his part, argued that porous borders in the West Africa sub-region and the illicit flow of small arms made it very easy for fighters to move across borders without being controlled by any persons in authority.

Taylor’s defense also argued during the trial that Liberian fighters who fought in Sierra Leone did so only for their own personal gain and as president of Liberia, Taylor did not have any knowledge of such movement of Liberian fighters into Sierra Leone.

In this present motion, Taylor’s defense lawyers now argue this report supports their argument that during the Sierra Leonean conflict, it was possible for fighters to cross from Liberia into Sierra Leone “without being under the direction and control of Mr. Taylor and without the implicit approval of the Government of Liberia.”

Defense lawyers now say this report establishes that mercenaries can easily move between Liberia and Ivory Coast without being intercepted by the Liberian government, that command structures in mercenary activities are loosely defined, and that the present Liberian government has demonstrated inadequate response to mercenary activities.

In asking judges to allow them to reopen their case, defense lawyers for Taylor argue that the present report be admitted in evidence because it could not have been obtained by the team during the conduct of its case considering that it was only presented to the UN Security Council in December 2011. They argue further that the probative value of the report is significant and that it poses no threat or concerns to Taylor’s rights to a fair and expeditious trial.

This is the second time in two months that defense lawyers for Mr. Taylor have requested that the former Liberian president be allowed to reopen his defense in view of new evidence. On December 9, 2011, Taylor’s defense lawyers made a similar request after the release of two WikiLeaks cables suggesting that there was cooperation between former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo and the United States Government to remove Taylor from Liberia with promise of asylum and immunity from prosecution if he were to leave willingly and that Obasanjo provided support to Liberian rebels who were fighting to oust Taylor from Liberia.

The judges, however, on December 21, 2011 rejected the defense application.

With the most recent application that has been made by the defense, the prosecution will have a chance to file a response, with an option to the defense to file a reply before the judges issue a decision on the motion.

Judges have taken several months since the conclusion of hearings in March 2011 to prepare their final judgment, which will determine whether Taylor is guilty or not of the charges against him. It is expected that such judgment will be delivered shortly.

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re-open its case in order to seek admission of the Panel of Experts Report on Liberia

The source did not mention when the former war-lord will begin his prison term although the average British tax-payer has already started counting the cost of accommodating the “war criminal’, estimated at over a million pounds.

Official sources hinted that Taylor’s UK prison service was part of the former Prime Minister Tony Blair’s agreement in 2006 that the public will foot the bill for imprisoning the ex Liberian warlord president.

Some analysts, including MPs have voiced their opposition over one of the “celebrity guest villains” serving time at the taxpayers expense”.

If he is still alive for the next two decades, it could cost close to £1.5million, one economic analyst concluded.

The ICC prosecutors and defense lawyers have been deliberating on Taylor since March when his historic trial was concluded, after three-and-a-half years.

Taylor, 63, will be sentenced to 50 years if found guilty of war crimes in The Hague over the conflict which ravaged his country for 14 years and left as many as a quarter of a million people dead.

He was the first ex-African head of state to appear before an international tribunal, where he faced 11 charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including aiding and abetting rebel forces in neighboring Sierra Leone who went on a blood diamond-fueled rampage of killing, mutilation and rape during the 1991-2001 civil war.

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According to media reports monitored on Tuesday, Philip Taylor, whose mother is Bong County Senior Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor was arraigned before a magistrate court in Monrovia Monday, where he was charged with hiring a gang to beat up Chris Massaquoi J, the son of Immigration Commissioner Chris Massaquoi.

According to reports, the incident occurred on one of the beaches around Monrovia, where both men who are in their late twenties had gone for recreation. The report said Philip and the thugs he allegedly hired used a chain to inflict injuries on Massaquoi Jr. who was suspected of having an affair with Philip’s fiancée.

According to the report a crowd that had gathered on the Monrovia beach had intervened to save Massaquoi Jr, who sustained injuries before he could be wrested from the gang.

Following the incident, Philip fled Monrovia and was on his way to Cote d’Ivoire when he was apprehended and arrested by state security operatives in southeastern Rivercess County, about 400km from the capital Monrovia to where he was later transferred pending his trial.

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phillip taylor son of charles taylor

The state-of-the art hotel was dedicated by Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, who expressed gratitude to the government of China for constructing the hospital.

Speaking at the dedication ceremony, the Chinese Ambassador to Liberia, Zhou Yuxiao, promised that China “will do more investments” in Liberia in the coming years.

Ambassador Zhou told the jubilant Liberians who participated in the weekend program that the Jackson Fiah Doe Memorial regional Hospital, which is a referral hospital that has capacity to also cater to patients from neighboring Cote d’Ivoire, is amongst the best in Africa.

A tripartite agreement signed by Liberia, Egypt and China will keep the hospital up to standard in terms of providing doctors, finance, training of medical personnel and maintenance of equipment.

The hospital is named in honor of Jackson Fiah Doe, a political ally of President Johnson Sirleaf, who founded the ruling Unity Party.

Jackson was murdered by fighters of Charles Taylor’s defunct NPFL during the civil conflict.

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According to a press release issued Thursday by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the move, under a memorandum of understanding between the Special Court and the STL, is an acknowledgment of the increasing scheduling difficulties with ICC trials. Under the agreement, the Special Court will pay for all trial-related costs as Mr. Taylor’s trial continues to be conducted by the Special Court.

The Special Court held its last trial hearing at the ICC on Wednesday, 12 May.

The Taylor trial was transferred to The Hague in 2006 due to concerns, expressed in UN Security Council Resolution 1688, that a trial in Freetown would have security implications for the sub-region. The trial is currently in the defense phase.

Special Court registrar Binta Mansaray said the Court is grateful to the ICC for the role it played in facilitating the Taylor trial.

“We appreciate the ICC’s cooperation and support for the use of their facilities over the past three years,” Ms. Mansaray said. “The scheduling challenges are a sign of the ICC’s progress in implementing their own mandate.”

Ms. Mansaray said that Charles Taylor will continue to be housed at the ICC’s detention facility in Scheveningen for the duration of the trial.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone 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.

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Liberia’s hydro-electricity plant located at Mount Cuffee outside the capital Monrovia, was destroyed by forces of the defunct National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) of Charles Taylor in 1992 as they fought to capture the capital and install Taylor as head of state of Liberia. Monrovia has been in perpetual darkness since then, and currently, less than 3 percent of the population of Monrovia enjoys regular electricity supply.

Recent estimates put the cost of restoring the hydro-power plant at about $350 million.

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Senator Johnson confirmed to APA Tuesday that his team would raise five to ten million US dollars to contest the presidential election, and that they would be a formidable force.

Senator Johnson, a former rebel leader who has become a politician has in the past opposed military rule saying “the gun that liberates must not rule”.

Senator Johnson captured and tortured to death former Liberian president Samuel Kanyon Doe in 1990.

But many Liberians consider the former warlord-turned-politician’s declaration as a joke, as many view him as an inconsistent and erratic individual.

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In the resolution, the Council said based on sustained progress made by the government of Liberia since January 2006, in rebuilding the country for the benefit of all Liberians, with the support of the international community, it was lifting the arms embargo.

The Security Council said it was taking the decision so as to allow the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission (UNMIL) receive military materials while it functions in the country.

The Council’s resolution praised the Liberian government for establishing the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI) as well as establishing its authority throughout the country, particularly in the diamond, timber and other natural resources producing regions and border areas.

At the same time, the UN Security Council has extended by 12 months its travel ban on persons in the country deemed to be a threat to the country’s peace process.

Those affected by the ban include former National Patriotic Party Chairman Cyril Allen, Nimba County Senator Adolphus Dolo, both associates of Charles Taylor, former House Speaker George Dweh, an official of the defunct rebel MODEL group, and the estranged wife of former president Taylor, Jewel Howard-Taylor.

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The government said, it has accordingly instructed the joint security to arrest any Liberian attempting to enter Guinea for any other purpose other than doing business.

According to an Immigration Bureau press statement issued here Saturday, the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization (BIN), has begun vigorous monitoring of all border posts between Liberia and Guinea to ensure that this directive is adhered to.

About two months ago, the former leader of the disbanded rebel LURD faction, Sekou Damate Conneh was arrested in Guinea on suspicion of involvement in that country’s security.

The rebel LURD faction was fashioned in Guinea to oust former Liberian leader Charles Taylor.

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The bank said it had set aside $6.65bn for pay and bonuses in the quarter – an average of $226,000 per employee.

Please note that those figures apply only to the recently-ended quarter. Bonuses are not paid out until the end of the year. We are already seeing some likely estimates:

Analysts had already predicted that the annual payout in 2009 for its staff could be nearly $18bn – or an average of more than $600,000 per person.

As to why I decided to single out Viniar, it all comes down to one sentence out of a public statement he released:

We are helping the economy to recover.

Say what? It is easy enough for me to see how Goldman is helping both its shareholders and its employees (note the listing in order of importance) recover; but what exactly is Goldman doing for the rest of the United States (or, for that matter, the rest of the world)? This is not a rising tide that will lift all boats. This is a flood of capital that will enable a few of the rich and mighty to buy more boats!

One commentator on Morning Edition managed to penetrate the smoke screen. He started connecting the dots between the “Goldman Sachs legacy” in the Obama Administration and the fact that Goldman got bailout money while its chief competitors did not. Does anyone smell any rats in this story?

Posted by Stephen Smoliar

Net News Publisher for World News

Taylor, who was president of Liberia from 1997 to 2003, is expected to be the first defense witness and to take the stand on July 14, a release from Human Rights Watch issued Friday said.

Taylor is being tried on 11 counts of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other serious violations of international law committed during Sierra Leone’s brutal 11-year armed conflict, which ended in 2002. The charges are primarily for his alleged role as a major backer of the Sierra Leone rebel group, the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), and his alleged association with a second warring faction, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC). The RUF in particular was notorious for its atrocities, including cutting off the limbs of civilians.

“Charles Taylor’s trial gives victims of heinous abuses in Sierra Leone an important opportunity to see justice done,” said Elise Keppler, senior counsel with Human Rights Watch’s International Justice Program. “A vigorous defense is key to ensuring a fair, credible trial.”

Taylor is being tried by the United Nations-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone, a hybrid international-national court that includes Sierra Leonean and international judges and staff. While the Special Court is headquartered in Freetown, Sierra Leone’s capital, Taylor’s trial is taking place at the facilities of the International Criminal Court in The Hague because of concerns that a trial in Sierra Leone might affect stability in West Africa.

Taylor’s testimony is expected to last for several weeks.

Prior to Taylor’s arrest in 2006, Human Rights Watch worked with a coalition of African and international non-governmental organizations to press for his surrender for trial and has closely followed the work of the Special Court since it was established in 2002, the release said.

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During her appearance before the TRC last year, President Sirleaf admitted that she gave US$10,000 to then defunct NPFL leader Charles Taylor for “relief purposes”, but the former spokesman of the defunct NPFL, Tom Woewiyu said the President provided over $500,000 to the front and even sponsored the training of some rebel fighters.

This recommendation, if endorsed, will affect the president’s second term bid.

TRC Chairman Counselor Jerome Verdier told a press conference Thursday that in its report submitted to the National Legislature, the TRC also recommended the prosecution of former NPFL leader Charles Taylor, now on trial in the Hague for his role in the Sierra Leone conflict.

Also to face prosecution are defunct Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia leader Senator Prince Y. Johnson, former defunct ULIMO-K leader Alhaji Kromah, , defunct Liberia Peace Council leader Dr. George Boley and defunct MODEL warring faction leader Thomas Yaya Nimely.

Others are the leader of the defunct rebel LURD, Sekou Damate Konneh, Francois Massaquoi of the defunct LDF (now deceased) and the leader of the defunct ULIMO-J faction Roosevelt Johnson (now deceased).

The TRC’s recommendations have to meet legislative approval before they can become binding.

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Addressing a press conference held by the visiting delegation of the UN Security Council currently on an African tour, Ms Rice emphasized that the Council’s travel ban and assets freeze also remain in force.

Ms Rice was heading the delegation which comprises 10 members of the UN Security Council which ended a two-day fact-finding visit to Liberia on Wednesday.

The UN Security Council in 2003 placed certain Liberians believed to be associates of former president Charles Taylor on their sanctions list and on travel ban on grounds that they posed a threat to security.

Some of the Taylor associates including Lebanese businessman George Haddad, have been removed from the sanctions list and travel ban, while several others still remain on the sanctions list.

Those who still remain on the sanctions list and travel ban include former Maritime Commissioner Benoni Urey, former National Patriotic Party Chairman Cyril Allen, former speaker Edwin Snowe and former First Lady Jewel Howard Taylor.

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According to sources from the Liberia National Police on Thursday, the arrest warrant follows Yeaten’s indictment last year by Liberia’s First Judicial Circuit Court, following a complaint by women said to be wives of victims of his escapades.

The indictment indicated that between the period of November 1997 and June 2003, Yeaten, also the former director of Charles Taylor’s Special Security Service (SSS), killed John W. Yormie, who was at the time deputy minister for operations at the Ministry of National Security, Isaac Vaye, who was serving as deputy minister for Technical Services at the ministry of Public Works and Samuel Dokie, former minister of Internal Affairs and members of his family.

The international security agency’s arrest warrant also indicated that former SSS director Yeaten, during the National Patriotic Party-led administration, confirmed to the wives of the two men (Yormie and Vaye) in 2003 in the presence of other women from north-eastern Nimba County that their arrested husbands were in his custody and that he would release them the next day, which was June 8, 2003.

Both men were however never seen alive and were believed to have been killed on Yeaten’s orders.

Yeaten, otherwise known as ’50′, was forced to leave Liberia in 2003 after rebel forces loyal to Sekou Damate Conne’s LURD made advances on the capital Monrovia, a move that also forced Charles Taylor into exile in Nigeria. Yeaten’s whereabouts have since remained unknown.

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The recent donations will allow the UN-backed tribunal, to continue functioning through June, according to the court’s registrar, Herman von Hebel, adding that a further $28m is needed to push its activities through 2009.

The court was set up in 2002, through an agreement between the government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations, to try “those bearing the greatest responsibility” for horrendous crimes committed during Sierra Leone’s brutal civil war.

It has already sentenced nine former commanders of the various warring factions and it is now prosecuting the former president of Liberia Charles Taylor, for allegedly backing rebels during Sierra Leone’s civil war.

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