Special Court for Sierra Leone / Former Special Court Investigator Convicted of Interference With Witnesses

Special Court for Sierra Leone / Former Special Court Investigator Convicted of Interference With Witnesses

THE HAGUE, Netherland, January 25, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Prince Taylor, a former Defence investigator with the Special Court, was convicted on Friday on five contempt counts for interfering with witnesses who had testified in the trial of former Liberian President Charles Taylor.

Four of the counts for which he was convicted related to attempts by Taylor to induce former Prosecution witnesses, through Eric Koi Senessie, to recant testimony they had given before the Court. The fifth count related to “instructing and otherwise persuading Eric Senessie to give false information to the Independent Counsel appointed by the Registrar on the order of Trial Chamber II” at a time when he was a potential Prosecution witness.

Senessie, a former RUF member who was convicted in June 2012 on eight counts of interference with the same witnesses, gave testimony against Prince Taylor at his trial.

Taylor was acquitted on four counts of offering a bribe to witnesses to induce them to recant their testimony.

A sentencing judgement will be scheduled at a later date.