VZCZCXRO3519
OO RUEHMA RUEHPA
DE RUCNDT #1093/01 1511851
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 311851Z MAY 06
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9197
INFO RUEHZK/ECOWAS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 0757
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE PRIORITY 8795

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 001093 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL UNSC KJUS KDEM PGOV SL XA
SUBJECT: UN/SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT: MANAGEMENT 
COMMITTEE DISCUSSES DRAFT 2006-07 BUDGET, TAYLOR TRIAL, 
COMPLETION STRATEGY WITH COURT OFFICIALS VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE 
 
 
 ¶1.  SUMMARY: Members of the Sierra Leone Special Court 
Management Committee communicated May 25 via videoconference 
with Court Registrar Lovemore Munlo and other Court officials 
to discuss the proposed $26.8 million budget projected for 
July 2006-June 2007, progress in the three trials now 
underway in Sierra Leone, and initial preparations to 
prosecute Charles Taylor.  USUN and the UK representatives 
stressed that the patience of the international community 
should not be taken for granted, and that every effort should 
be made to expedite completion of the CDF, AFRC, and RUF 
trials.  After a two-hour exchange of views with Court 
Registrar Munlo and other Court officials, Management 
Committee members decided the best way forward would be to 
focus on a six-month Court budget, covering the period July 
1, 2006 to December 31, 2006, and then to assess the 
situation at year's end before approving additional spending. 
 Munlo predicted that the trial phase of the CDF and AFRC 
proceedings would both be completed by December 2006, with 
appeals carrying into 2007.  Although the prosecution phase 
of the RUF trial was scheduled to finish by mid-August, the 
RUF defense case likely would lapse into 2007 as well, 
followed by appeals.  Initial preparations for the trial of 
former Liberia President Charles Taylor already were 
underway, pending a final decision on the trial's venue. 
Court Prosecutor Desmond da Silva is scheduled to meet with 
Management Committee members in New York on June 6.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
PROPOSED 2006-2007 COURT 
BUDGET MAY EXCEED AVAILABLE 
RESOURCES 
--------------------------- 
 
¶2.   Special Court Registrar Munlo, assisted by the Chief of 
the Court's Financial Section Paul Peckham, began the May 25 
videoconference with members of the Court's Management 
Committee, including USUN Management Reform (MR) officer, by 
presenting an overview of the proposed $26.8 million budget 
projected for July 2006-June 2007.  Munlo said the resources 
requested were needed to complete the three trials now 
underway.  Court Finance Chief Peckham estimated Court 
expenses for the first six months of the new fiscal year 
(i.e., July 2006 - December 2006) to be $16,895,900.  In 
addition, approximately $3.5 million would be needed to cover 
the costs associated with preparations for the trial of 
former Liberian President Charles Taylor. 
 
¶3.   USUN MR officer noted the proposed 2006-2007 budget of 
$26.8 million, coupled with the cost of prosecuting Taylor, 
which Court officials already have estimated to be $20-25 
million, likely will exceed $50 million.  Taking into account 
the fact that voluntary contributions to support the Court's 
first four years of operation have totaled approximately $75 
million, the international community may be hard pressed to 
provide the total amount required to complete the CDF, AFRC 
and RUF trials and to try Taylor.  For this reason alone, it 
was imperative that Court officials do everything possible to 
complete the three trials currently underway in Freetown to 
maximize the use of resources already provided, including the 
$5.9 million recently contributed by the United States.  USUN 
MR Off said court efficiency was critical, since expenses 
were continuing to accrue daily, whether or not the trial 
chambers were in session. 
 
¶4.  The UK representative also stressed the importance of 
Court efficiency and the need for an effective completion 
strategy that identified realistic and achievable timeframes 
to conclude the current trials.  There remains a great danger 
that in the absence of meaningful progress in the trials now 
underway, Court expenses may exceed the international 
community's ability and willingness to pay.  The people of 
Sierra Leone deserve justice, but at a price the 
international community can afford. 
 
CDF AND AFRC TRIALS TO END 
IN 2006; RUF TRIAL INTO 2007 
---------------------------- 
 
¶5.  Court Registrar Munlo reported that the defense case in 
the CDF trial already had begun, and defense attorneys were 
prepared to begin their presentation in the AFRC trial on 
June 5.  The trial phase in both proceedings should be 
completed by December 2006.  The RUF trial, by comparison, 
was still in the prosecutorial phase.  The Prosecutor will 
not have completed presentation of his case until mid-August. 
 This will be followed by the defense portion of the trial. 
Consequently, the trial phase of the RUF proceedings will 
continue into 2007.  Appeals in all three cases could last 4 
 
USUN NEW Y 00001093  002 OF 002 
 
 
to 6 months, or longer, since the judges have decided that 
they only will entertain one appeal (i.e., CDF, AFRC, RUF) at 
a time, rather than several concurrently.  Management 
Committee members questioned why more than one appeal could 
not be heard at the same time.  They underscored that a 
maximum of six-months per appeal should be amply sufficient. 
 
$3.5 MILLION SUPPLEMENTAL 
BUDGET TO PREPARE FOR TAYLOR 
TRIAL 
---------------------------- 
 
¶6.  In addition to the $26.8 million requested to continue 
Court operations, Munlo and Peckham said an additional 
$3,442,000 was needed to cover costs associated with 
preparations for the trial of Charles Taylor.  This amount 
covered security, Taylor's ongoing detention, interviewing 
potential witnesses, preparation of the prosecution's case, 
and likely transfer to the Hague, if/when a final decision 
was reached on the trial's venue.  These estimated costs 
covered the period July 1, 2006 through December 31, 2006, at 
which time additional resources would be needed to pay for 
the trial which likely would begin in January 2007. 
 
SIX-MONTH BUDGET FOR NOW, 
RE-ASSESSMENT AT YEAR'S END 
--------------------------- 
 
¶7.  USUN MR officer joined other Management Committee members 
to consider a six-month Court budget, covering the period 
July 1 through December 31 (vice a one-year budget), at which 
time the Committee could evaluate progress achieved in 
completion of the three trials in Freetown, and review more 
precise costs linked to the Taylor trial.  Committee members 
will reconvene June 6 for further discussions of the Court's 
proposed six-month, $16.895 million budget, and to hear from 
Court Prosecutor Desmond da Silva, who will be visiting New 
York prior to his resignation from the Court in late June. 
 
BOLTON