United Nations Radio

Charles Taylor

INTRO: Today was the last full day of direct examination of former Liberian president Charles Taylor at the UN-supported Special Court for Sierra Leone in the Hague. Mr. Taylor has been charged with war crimes. Gerry Adams spoke to Jeremy Waiser, Special Assistant to the Prosecutor for the Special Court, about the trial:

Waiser: He has been taking questions from his own lawyer since the middle of July, which makes a rather long direct of 13 weeks. And we the prosecution have been waiting as patiently as we could for our chance to begin the cross examination and challenge Mr. Taylor on his version of events which, as you can imagine, is very different from the evidence that the prosecution presented in our year-long case with our documentary evidence and the testimony of over 90 witnesses on the stand.

Adams: So have you begun your cross examination today?

Waiser: No. We were wondering if we might this afternoon. But defence carried through to the end of the day and ended with a nice flourish and will probably take up a few more minutes tomorrow morning before the prosecution begins cross.

Adams: Can you summarize what was said in that long, long beginning of the trial - several months?

Waiser: The prosecution made its opening statement to begin the trial and then presented its case over the course of a year. During that time in our case, we brought over 90 witnesses to the stand. Our case consisted of witness testimony and documentary evidence. The witnesses broke down into three categories - first, victims who came forth to tell of the crimes they themselves suffered or witnessed, including murder, amputations of limbs, sexual violence crimes such as rape and sexual slavery and forced marriage, the use of child soldiers in combat and other acts of terror. Then we had to show the linkages between these crimes and the accused himself. And we did that by bringing in insiders who could tell of these links, who could say that "I was in the room when Mr. Taylor gave these orders. I was there when the diamonds were exchanged for weapons. I carried out these commands, etc." And third, expert testimony. So that, along with the documentary evidence, made up the prosecution's case. Now it's the defence's case. And Mr. Taylor has been the first witness representing himself in his own cause for the defence. He started in mid-July and he's ending now on direct. And we finally are about to have a chance to challenge him on the accuracy, the truthfulness and the completeness of a story he has tried to tell.

Adams: How might you cross direct your questions to him? What are you going to ask him?

Waiser: What I can tell you first is the strategy of the prosecution will be made clear to viewers, not to mention the people of the region in Sierra Leone and Liberia, who are following this trial very closely. We made clear to them all as it unfolds. But what I can tell you is that we are really doing two things in this cross examination - challenging Mr. Taylor on his version of events as I said. But, then equally important putting our case and our evidence to him.

Producer: Geraldine Adams
Duration: 2'47"