African dictator ‘gave Naomi Campbell a blood diamond’

MELBOURNE - Charles Taylor, former president of Liberia, gave a “blood diamond” to charm supermodel Naomi Campbell, according to war crimes prosecutors.

A “blood diamond” usually refers to a gem mined in an African war zone and sold to pay for weapons or armed rebellion.

Taylor is on trial in an international court in the Netherlands on charges that he used murder, rape, amputation and child soldiers to support the rebels in neighboring Sierra Leone, and that he traded weapons to the rebels in return for diamonds.

In a cross-examination session on Thursday morning, lead prosecutor Brenda Hollis alleged that Taylor had given a blood diamond to Campbell after a dinner in South Africa in 1997 attended by South African president Nelson Mandela, Campbell, musician Quincy Jones, and actress Mia Farrow.

The prosecution said that the diamond was among gems given to Taylor before the trip so that he could purchase arms for the Sierra Leone rebels from South African armament manufacturers.

“That diamond that you sent to Naomi Campbell was one of the diamonds that you had been given by the junta in Sierra Leone. Isn’t that correct?” ABC Science quoted Hollis asking Taylor.

But Taylor denied the allegation, saying: “Total, total nonsense.”

Then, Hollis said that the next morning Campbell had told Mia Farrow that some men had come to her after the dinner and given her the diamond, saying it was from Taylor.

A spokesperson for Campbell said the supermodel has cooperated with the prosecution, but would not confirm or deny the diamond story.

“Naomi has been assisting the special prosecutor where possible, but beyond that has nothing to add,” said the spokesperson.

Meanwhile, Farrow’s rep has said that the actress was in Africa and unavailable for comment. (ANI)