9:30am: Defense Counsel Terry Munyard concluded the cross-examination of Witness TF1-375 during today’s morning session.

Diamonds in Mayornaise Jars

Defense counsel asked a few questions about the witness’s statement to the OTP relating to diamonds in Mayornaise Jars and suggested that the witness only said so because he had heard Moses Blah say the same thing. The witness responded that he had not listened to Blah’s testimony and that he spoke of diamonds in mayornaise jars only when he was asked about that. Defense counsel put it to the witness that he had spoken with investigators and had mentioned the issue of diamonds but never mentioned mayornaise jars except in one of his recent prepping sessions. The witness said that in the other instance in which he spoke of diamonds, he had said that Eddie Kanneh had been arrested with diamonds wrapped in percels in Foya, Liberia. He said that when asked about diamonds in Buedu, that was when he spoke of they being in mayornaise jars.

Charles Taylor’s Cell Phone Number

 Defense counsel also asked the witness about Taylor’s cell phone number and suggested that the witness had no such number.  The witness insisted that he had Taylor’s cell phone number and that said number was given to him by Senegalese Sea Breeze, Taylor’s Body Guard Commander. Whern asked about Taylor’s satelite phone number, the witnesee said that he got that number from Taylor himself. He told the court that he spoke with Taylor directly on occassions. Defense counsel put it to him that he was telling lies.

Inconsistencies

Defense counsel asked the witness about his testimony regarding the killing of Samuel Varney. The witness said he received orders from Benjamin Yeaten to kill Samuel Varney. He said that Sam Bockarie had had an affair with Varney’s daughter and so he(Varney) had gone on radio and announced that Bockarie was in Liberia. Asked if said orders to kill Varney had come from Taylor, the witness said that Taylor had told them that all orders from Yeaten should be taken as orders from him (Taylor).  Defense counsel referenced a previous transcript in which the witness had said Yeaten told him he had orders from Taylor that Varney should be killed. The witness said that Yeaten did not tell him so and that he was misquoted in said transcript. Defense counsel also referenced the witness’s previous statement in which he is quoted as saying the individual was Samuel Vandy, and that he was now calling him Samuel Varney. The witness responded that he had been mispuoted because of the way he pronounced the name.

Photograph of Sam Bockarie

 The witness was asked to identify a photograph of Sam Bockarie’s corpse, which he did. The photo was taken during the autopsy conducted to determine if Bockarie was killed. Defense counsel put it to the witness that looking at the photograph, there was  no M16 bullet wound on Bockarie’s forehead. The witness responded that the photograph was in black and white and had several dots on it, and so he was not able to determine any marks on Bockarie’s forehead. Defense concluded the cross-examination of the witness.

Re-Examination

Prosecution counsel, Nocholas Koumjin led the witness in re-direct examination. He asked the witness about arms and ammunition which the witness said he transported from Liberia and were used for the Fiti-Fatta mission in Kono. The witness reiterated that said arms and ammunition were transported by him from Liberia and were used to attack Kono. He further went through a letter written by Sam Bockarie to RUF leader Foday Sankoh updating him on events that took place in his absence, while he was in detention in Nigeria. The witness confirmed the contents of the letter and stated that three 40 barrell weapons were captured by the RUF. The witness said that Senegalese Sea Breeze was different from Senegalese and that Jungle Gym was different from Jungle. Prosecution made an application that the remaining period of the re-examination be heard in private sesssion for security reasons.

The court went into private session for the remaining period of re-direct examination.