Friday July 18th, 2008: Cross-Examination of Witness Jabati Jaward Continues

9:30 a.m.: Defense Counsel Terry Munyard continued his cross-examination of witness Jabati Jaward in open session. Charles Taylor was present. Courtenay Griffiths began by commenting on the search on Charles Taylor. The Court considered the Special Rules to be applicable (Rule 59); the Registrar should conduct research to these matters. The Prosecution asked to complete the testimony of the Witness today. Defense Counsel Terry Munyard started his cross-examination by asking if Jabati Jaward encountered other Prosecution witnesses in Freetown in 2007 and if Jaward followed the Court proceedings. Munyard put to Jaward that the Court made it possible for him to go to back to Sierra Leone and that the Court is paying for his education. Subsequently Munyard asked why a number of things Jaward mentioned last Wednesday where not included in the previous interview notes of the Prosecution. Jaward blamed the interviewers for not making full notes of the interviews and denied that anyone encouraged him to add comments to match the evidence of other Prosecution witnesses. 

Furthermore the second almost-execution of the Witness was subject to the cross-examination and the relationship Jaward had with High Command and the part this person had in the death of Sam Bockarie. Although the Prosecution was objecting because the Defense was “seeking to damage the credibility of the Witness”, the Court allowed the Defense to proceed. At the end of the morning session, the Defense pointed out several discrepancies between the lists of ATU dated 10 March 2002 marked on Monday last by the Witness and the lists previously marked by the Witness, outside the Court.

Court adjourned at 11.30 a.m. for the mid-morning break.