Thaindian News

London, May 21 (ANI): Super model Naomi Campbell could be summoned before a war crimes tribunal for allegedly possessing a ‘blood diamond’ given to her by Liberia’s former president Charles Taylor.

Blood diamonds also called conflict diamonds, are diamonds mined in rebel-held regions of Africa used to fund war.

The one Campbell has is said to be obtained from rebels in neighbouring Sierra Leone and took to South Africa to sell for weapons. It is alleged to have come from mines in Sierra Leone that were seized in a campaign of terror.

After actress and human rights activist, Mia Farrow suggested that Campbell was in possession of the diamond, prosecutors wish to subpoena her to testify over the claim.

“Ms Campbell’s testimony is necessary as there is evidence that Ms Campbell was given rough diamonds by the accused in September 1997. Ms Campbell’s anticipated evidence concerns a central issue in the case, the accused’s possession of rough diamonds.

“Ms Campbell, as the actual recipient of the accused’s gift of diamonds, is clearly in a position to provide material evidence about this event. Her anticipated evidence supports the prosecution allegations that the accused used rough diamonds for personal enrichment and arms purchases for Sierra Leone,” said the papers filed by the prosecutors, according to The Telegraph.

Miss Farrow was also at the 1997 dinner at Mr. Mandela’s home, along with the singer Quincy Jones, where Campbell is said to have received the gift from Taylor.

“You don’t forget when a girlfriend tells you she was given a huge diamond in the middle of the night.

“She said that during the night some men had knocked at her door, and it was representatives of President Charles Taylor, and that they had given her a huge diamond. And we’re like, ‘oh, my gosh.’ All I thought was, gosh, what an amazing life Naomi Campbell has.

“Probably lots of men are always giving her diamonds and she said she was going to give it to Nelson Mandela’s children’s charity and I thought no more about it,” said Farrow.

Earlier Miss Campbell, in an interview with Oprah Winfrey, said, “I don’t want to be involved in this man’s case. He has done some terrible things and I don’t want to go and put my family in danger.”

Taylor, who has pleaded not guilty to 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity stemming from the brutal 1991-2001 civil war in Sierra Leone, is accused of having fuelled war in Sierra Leone by arming the rebel Revolutionary United Front (RUF) in exchange for blood diamonds.

He also denied having given Campbell the diamond. (ANI)