3:00pm: Court resumed and Chief Prosecutor Steven Rapp continued the examination of witness Tariq Malik. The witness continued his identification of materials obtained from various searches which have been used as prosecution evidence.
Counsel asked the witness about documents obtained during the RUF Office Search. The witness explained that this search was conducted in 2001 in Kono and that 22 different documents were obtained. He identified several individuals involved in obtaining these documents who included Jusu Yarmah, Aiah Ansumana, George Kofi, Ibrahim Bangura and Joseph Wolczynski.
He said that in 2001, the RUF diamond office in Kokwema, Kono District was searched. He said that Aiah Ansumana seized the documents during the search and he kept them in his office at Tankoro Police Station in Kono. Aiah Ansumana told his boss Mr. Jalloh about these documents, who inturn instructed George Kofi to take the documents to Freetown. He said that when George Kofi was reassigned, he was replaced by Ibrahim Bangura. Philip King later saw the documents and then informed the Special Court about them. Joseph Wolczynski, who worked with the OTP looked at the documents and they were later submitted to the witness himself. The witness explained that Ibrahim Bangura in his declaration said that the documents were obtained from Kono and Makeni. The witness, however, said he believes that the documents were obtained from Kono. He explained that he believed so because Aiah Ansumana, who conducted the search to retrieve the documents said he did so in Kono. He said that they possibly originated from Makeni, then taken to Kono, where they were seized. The witness put the documents into five categories:
1. Administrative records
2. Complaints and Investigations
3. Operational Reports
4. RUF Contacts
5. 2 Note Books
The witness identified the various exhibits in these categories which included RUF Commander Kposowa’s letter to Mr. Taylor that Gibril Massaquoi was nolonger part of the RUF external delegation.
Counsel also asked the witness about the Liberia Search Documents. This was a search into Taylor’s private residence in Liberia. The witness said he was not in Liberia personally when this search was conducted but that he spoke with prosecution investigators who were present there. He said Liberian officials conducted the search in the presence of two prosecution investigators. He said that the OTP has only been given limited access to the documents obtained from the search. The documents obtained from the search were/are kept at the Temple of Justice in Liberia and the originals have not been given to the OTP. He explained that OTP is granted access to view the documents and do photocopies of them when necessary. The materials to be photocopied are normally taken to the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), where photocopies are made under the supervision of Liberian officials. The witness said that he has personally looked at the documents and that they relate to the civil war in Liberia, Taylor’s external activities and note books. He said that no inventry of all documents obtained during the search was made available to the OTP.
Court adjourned for the day and the witness is set to continue his testimony tomorrow.