Supply His Liberian Forces and His Proxy Sierra Leone Forces, the AFRC/RUF, with That Materiel, Thus Conserving Some Ofhis Own Stores".11618
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supply his Liberian forces and his proxy Sierra Leone forces, the AFRC/RUF, with that materiel, thus conserving some ofhis own stores".11618 5255. The Prosecution further alleges that the Accused was in a long-term cooperative relationship with Alhaji Kromah, who became the leader of ULIMO-K, and that they were working together on various matters from as early as 1993. The Prosecution submits that a Memorandum of Understanding entered into by Taylor and Kromah in November 1995 led to Taylor once again having access to the border with Sierra Leone.11619 5256. The Defence denies the Prosecution's allegation and submits that there is no evidence suggesting that the Accused was involved in the arms trade between the RUF and ULIMO in Liberia.11620 The Defence accepts that Sankoh gave Bockarie $USD 7000 to buy ammunition from ULIMO, but submits that this is not linked to Taylor in any way other than by the suggestion that it was Jungle who carried the money from Sankoh to Bockarie. In this regard, the Defence submits that Jungle was not with the RUF on Taylor's behalf. 1l 621The Defence also challenges the Prosecution's allegation that the Accused and Alhaji Kromah were in a long-term cooperative relationship and submits that this is simply a Prosecution assumption, since there is no evidence on this point.11622 Evidence Prosecution Witness TF1-168 5257. Witness TFI-168, an RUF member, testified that when Foday Sankoh was in the Cote d'Ivoire for the peace negotiations he received $USD 500,000 in May 1996 from the Libyan ambassador to Ghana, Mohamed Talibi. This assistance came after Sankoh went to Libya to ask for it in order to transform his movement into a political party. After Sam Bockarie told Sankoh that he could get ammunition from ULIMO fighters along the Sierra Leone-Liberian border and that he needed money in order to do that, Sankoh sent $USD 11618 Prosecution Final Trial Brief, para. 220. 11619 Prosecution Final Trial Brief, paras 221-222. 11620 Defence Final Trial Brief, para. 1040-1041; Defence Response to Prosecution Final Trial Brief, paras 40-41. 11621 Defence Final Trial Brief, para. 1039. 11622 Defence Response to Prosecution Final Trial Brief, paras 40-43. 1795~ Case No.: SCSL-03-01-T 18 May 2012 7,000 with Daniel Tamba (a.k.a. Jungle) to Bockarie. Out of that amount, $USD 2,000 was for food and $USD 5,000 was for ammunition. 11623 Prosecution Witness TFl-338 5258. Witness TFI-338, an RUF member, testified that in 1997 after Foday Sankoh returned from Abidjan he gave "some money" to Bockarie when they were in Giema. Sankoh told Bockarie to use the money to purchase arms and ammunition from ULIMa since he had heard that ULIMa were disarming and had a large cache of arms with them. The witness went to Foya with Bockarie, Kennedy, Lion, Sam Kolleh and others to negotiate for arms and ammunition from ULIMa. The materiel was bought from Farrah Aidid and Musa Sidibay, called Jungle. The witness stated that this happened in 1997 but could not recall the particular time. 11624 Prosecution Witness TF 1-371 5259. Witness TFI-371, an RUF member, testified that in 1997 the RUF purchased arms and ammunition from ULIMa through Vannuyan Sherif. Abu Keita was also "involved". The first sum of money came from Sankoh who sent Bockarie $USD 7,000. Bockarie also got 40,000 Liberian dollars although the witness did not know from where the money came from.11625 Prosecution Witness TFl-367 5260. Witness TFI-367, an RUF member, testified that the RUF purchased ammunition from ULIMa in 1997 until "Johnny Paul called us", referring to when Johnny Paul Koromoa invited the RUF to Freetown.11626 The witness stated that the first purchase was made with $USD 7,000 Bockarie had provided. Bockarie said that the money was given to him by Sankoh "to maintain the ground". Sankoh had given the $USD 7,000 to Bockarie upon his return to Buedu from the peace talks in the Cote d'Ivoire.11627 Bockarie would change the currency and provide funds for the ammunition purchases out ofthe $USD 7,000 11623 TFI-168, Transcript 22 January 2009, pp. 23283-23285 (CS); Transcript 26 January 2009, pp. 23537-23540 (CS). 11624 TFI-338, Transcript 3 September 2008, pp. 15275-15277. [1625 TF 1-371, Transcript 31 January 2008, pp. 2696-2697 (CS). 11626 TFI-367, Transcript 29 August 2008, pp. 14964-14966, 14967-14969. 11627 TFI-367, Transcript 20 August 2008, pp. 14156-14158. 1796 Case No.: SCSL-03-01-T .: 18May 2012 lump sum. The witness could not recall how much out of that sum was actually used to . 11 628 purehase t h e ammumtion. Prosecution Witness Mohamed Kabbah 5261 . Witness Mohamed Kabbah testified that prior to the Junta taking power, in 1996, the RUF was trading for ammuniton with ULIMO at the border. 11629 The Accused 5262 . The Accused denied that he had anything to do with providing Bockarie with the $7000 he used to buy arms and ammunition from ULIMO, asserting that there is no evidence whatsoever ofhis involvement. 11630 5263 . The Accused acknowledged that the NPFL and ULIMO worked together to resolve a dispute regarding governmental posts after the signing ofthe Cotonou Agreement on 25 July 1993. It was eventually agreed that the NPFL would receive the posts of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry ofJustice while ULIMO would get the post ofFinance.11631 5264. The Accused also acknowledged that he himself signed the Akosombo Agreement on 12 September 1994, signed also by Alhaji Kromah for ULIMO. That agreement established the Council of Five, in which one member of the NPFL, ULIMO and AFL were to be appointed while one other member was to be chosen by the Liberian National Conference, and another one to be jointly appointed by the NPFL and ULIMO. The Accused also agreed that ULIMO and the NPFL jointly appointed the Honourable Tamba Tailor as a representative in the Council ofFive. 11 632 5265 . The Accused recalled that Mr George Boley of ECOWAS mediated between the NPFL and ULIMO-K of Alhaji Kromah. He acknowledged that the NPFL and ULIMO-K signed a memorandum of understanding on 30 November 1995 to cease all hostilities. They 11618 See TFI-367, Transcript 1 September 2008, pp. 15013-15019 . 11619 Mohamed Kabbah, Transcript 17 September 2008 , p. 16425. 11630 Charles Ghankay Taylor, Transcript 23 July 2009, pp. 25139-25140. 11631 Charles Ghankay Taylor, Transcript 14 January 2010, pp. 33316-33317. 11632 Charles Ghankay Taylor, Transcript 14 January 2010, pp. 33317-33321. 1797 Case No.: SCSL-03-01-T 18 May 2012 39SQO then cooperated to ensure free movement of civilians and conunercial activity In their respectr.ve contro11 ed ternton..es.11 633 5266. The Accused denied acting in concert with ULIMO-K in 1996 against Roosevelt Johnson of ULIMO-J. He asserted that it was the Liberian government who arrested Johnson, which included the NPFL, ULIMO-K and ULIMO-J which at that time was headed by Kai Karyee,. Taylor asserted he was not involved in ULIMO's internal fights and stated that it was the govemrnent who temporarily recognized Karyee as the head of ULIMO-J so that his faction could implement the peace plan. I 1634 Defence Witness Charles Ngebeh 5267. Witness Charles Ngebeh testified that before the RUF retreated from Zogoda in 1996, Bockarie established a relationship with ULIMO in Foya, who by then were disarming in 1996, 1997. Bockarie would go with other officers to negotiate for ammunition with the ULIMO commander in Foya. Bockarie and the other officers who would then travel with the ammunition back to Buedu. TIle witness stated that this was in 1996/1997. According to the witness, the ammunition was mainly bartered for "single barrels" and goods, although sometimes it was done with money. The witness went with Bockarie on one occasion to purchase anununition and arms from ULIMO. On that occasion the y went with single barrels to make the exchange for ammunition. Bockarie also had US doll ars with him .11 635 Defence Witness Issa Sesay 5268 . Witness Issa Sesay testified that in late No vember, before signing the peace accord in Abidjan, Sankoh gave Sam Bockarie $USD 7,000 in the presence ofIssa Sesay, Peter Vandi and Lawrence Womandia in Buedu. Sankoh told Bockarie to try very hard to establish a relationship with ULIMO in order to buy ammunition to defend Kailahun.11 636 After Sankoh returned to Abidjan, Bockarie sent him a message that he had met ULIMO members and that "it had gone through". 11 637 11633 Charles Ghankay Taylor, Transcript 14 January 20 IO. pp. 33321-33324. 11634 Charles Ghankay Taylor, Transcript 14 January 2010. pp. 33324-33328; Transcript 17 November 2009 , pp. 31877-31880. 11635 Charles Ngebeh, Transcript 23 March 20 I0, pp. 37848-37852. 11636 Issa Sesay, Transcript 6 July 2010, pp. 43769-43770 , 43774-43 775. 11637 Issa Sesay, Transcript 6 July 20 IO. p. 43796. 1798 Case No.: SCSL-03-0 I-T ~ 18 May 2012 j) 5269. The day Sankoh left for Abidjan, Issa Sesay, Matthew Sesay, Peter Vandi , Lawrence Womandia and Sam Bockarie went back to Giema. Two days later, in late November, Bockarie said he was going to the border, to Foya, to meet with ULIMO. Bockari e then went to Foya with his bodyguards, Matthew Sesay (a.k.a. Kennedy), a Vanguard named Big Daddy and CO Sellay. Bockarie was there for about a week. 11 63S Upon their return they told Issa Sesay that ULIMO thought Bockarie had come to surrender.