Naomi Campbell denies lying in court
By IANSWednesday, August 11, 2010
LONDON - Supermodel Naomi Campbell has shot down the controversy surrounding her war crimes testimony, insisting she has “nothing to gain” from lying in the court.
Campbell has defended her testimony, reports contactmusic.com.
“I’ve no motive here. Nothing to gain. I am a black woman who has and will always support good causes especially relating to Africa,” she said in a statement.
The catwalk queen took to the stand in the Hague, Netherlands to testify in ex-Liberian president Charles Taylor’s war crimes trial. He is alleged to have given Campbell blood diamonds - illicit gems sold to finance conflicts - at a dinner party at Nelson Mandela’s home in South Africa in 1997.
She admitted receiving “dirty looking pebbles” from two unknown men but insisted she did not know who they were from.
Actress Mia Farrow and Campbell’s former agent Carole White contradicted her testimony when they took the stand this week, recalling that Campbell had suggested the gems were from the Liberian leader and that she had boasted about the gift at breakfast the following morning.
