Treason Trial Resumes in Liberia with Startling Revelation

The retrial of former Armed Forces of Liberia officers retired general Charles Julue and Colonel Andrew Dorbor continued in Monrovia Friday with a startling revelation by Junior Gaye, an insider now serving as state witness, that the plot was to have been executed on January 16, 2006, the day President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was inaugurated into office.

Gaye who appeared in court in a very bad state of health with a swollen stomach and feet, said the coup plotters decided to call off the exercise because of the large number of foreign dignitaries in the country at the time.

He said due to the presence of U.S First Lady Laura Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, there were many U.S Secret Service officers in the country.

Junior Glay said he was invited to Monrovia from the Ivory Coast by retired general Julue and briefed on how the exercise would be executed.

He said during this visit, he met other generals Charles Julue had contacted, including one Sam Chede, General Garang, one Abednego, Joe Glay and Prince Sio, who promised to provide some arms for the onslaught on Monrovia.

Junior Glay’s testimony shocked even the defense, especially when he told the court that those contacted to help provide funding for the coup plot included ousted speaker Edwin Snowe, a close associate of of former president Charles Taylor, and Armah Youlou, a former battlefront commander of the defunct rebel LURD.

Gaye also mentioned the name of Lebanese merchant Jacob Karan who also testified for the state in the first trial.

Gaye said it was his younger brother who took Andrew Dorbor to the Ivory Coast and introduced him to the Ivorian security officer from whom he was to have bought the arms.

The state witness also threw light on circumstances that led to Dorbor’s arrest in the Ivory Coast.

The first trial ended in the jury passing a guilty verdict on Dorbor and Julue, but the verdict was marred by claims that the jurors were bribed, thus causing the judge to grant the defense’s plea for a retrial.

Source African Press Agency

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