Special Court for Sierra Leone – PRESS ALERT – Prince Taylor contempt trial opens Monday, 14 January 2013. Press invited.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands, January 11, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ — The contempt trial Prince Taylor will open, subject to confirmation at Saturday’s Pre-Trial Hearing, at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, 14 January 2013 at the Special Court’s Courtroom 1. The press is welcome to attend the trial and also the Pre-Trial Hearing on Saturday, 12 January at the same time and venue.

Prince Taylor, a former Special Court investigator working for the Charles Taylor (no relation) defence team, was charged on 4 October 2012 in an Order in Lieu of an Indictment with 9 counts of contempt. The first eight counts relate to four Prosecution witnesses who testified against Charles Taylor, and the ninth relates to Eric Koi Senessie, who was convicted of contempt on 21 June.

A Pre-Trial Hearing in the contempt case of The Independent Counsel v. Prince Taylor will take place on Saturday, 12 January 2013 at 10:00 a.m. On the agenda is confirmation that the trial will open on Monday, 14 January. We assume this will be confirmed and that the trial will open at 10:00 a.m.

Counts 1, 3, 5, 6 alleged that Prince Taylor offered a bribe to a witness to recant testimony given before a chamber through instructions to Eric Senessie, and counts 2, 4, 7, 8 allege that he otherwise interfered with a witness who had given evidence before a chamber through instructions to Eric Senessie. Count 9 alleges that he interfered with a witness who was about to give evidence before a chamber by instructing and persuading Eric Senessie to give false information to the Independent Counsel appointed by the Registrar.

At his initial appearance on 6 October 2012, Prince Taylor pleaded not guilty to all counts.

He is being represented by Rodney Dixon.

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