VZCZCXYZ0002
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUCNDT #0112 0411626
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 101626Z FEB 09
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5801
INFO RUEHFN/AMEMBASSY FREETOWN 1369
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 9099

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 000112 
 
SIPDIS 
 
MR: MSCANLON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: KAWC KJUS PGOV PREL SL NL
SUBJECT: SIERRA LEONE SPECIAL COURT PROSECUTOR UPDATES 
MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE 
 
¶1. (U) Summary. The Prosecutor for the Special Court for 
Sierra Leone, Stephen Rapp, provided the Management Committee 
with an update on the Charles Taylor case and other matters 
on February 4.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (U) On January 30, the Prosecution concluded the 
presentation of its evidence in the Charles Taylor case after 
hearing its 91st witness.  The case went very well, in Rapp's 
view, demonstrating that it is possible to try a chief of 
state in a fair, transparent and efficient proceeding that 
meets the highest standards of justice.  Rapp is hoping that 
Trial Chamber 2 will decide all pending motions during the 
week of February 9 so that the Prosecution can formally close 
its case.  Rapp hopes that the Defendant will begin his case 
in April, but understands that he might ask for more time and 
that Charles Taylor plans to testify. Rapp said that he will 
try to make the cross-examination as succinct as possible. 
 
¶3. (U) On the budget, Rapp said that the shifting of 
milestones due to delays in cases necessarily results in 
increases to the budget.  He and the Registrar are working to 
reduce the increases, but there are some costs that are 
unavoidable. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Rapp said that he continues to try to establish that 
Johnny Paul Koroma - one of the principal alleged war crimes 
fugitives - is in fact dead.  Rapp journeyed to a site where 
a witness allegedly observed Koroma's murder, and retrieved 
bones for DNA analysis. The FBI is prepared to assist with 
advanced DNA testing, but there have been some doubts 
expressed by European experts, in that the bone fragments 
appear to come from a man much younger than Koroma.  Rapp 
will not dismiss the Koroma indictment unless it is clearly 
established that he is dead, as there are rumors in Sierra 
Leone, that Koroma, who had "nine lives," is still alive.  If 
it is not determined that Koroma is dead, then it will need 
to be decided how to handle this issue after the Special 
Court for Sierra Leone ceases its operations, either through 
a "residual mechanism" or through transfer to a national 
court willing to take juris 
diction. 
 
Upcoming Trip to The Hague and Freetown 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Sierra Leone representative requested that U.N. 
Under Secretary-General Patricia O'Brien participate in the 
Management Committee meeting in Freetown with the Government 
of Sierra Leone, which apparently will include the Vice 
President of Sierra Leone.  The Chair of the Management 
Committee made it clear that there will be no decisions taken 
on residual or any other issues on the Freetown trip, and 
that there will only be preliminary discussions of residual 
issues. 
Rice