IPNEWS: War and Economic crimes investigators have added theirs Voices to Protected witness Darious Tweh calling on the United States United States European Union including other western organizations and Governments, to Investigate the following NGO’s Global Justice Research Project Liberia, Civitas Maxima Switzerland and Center for and Accountability California involvement in fraudulent behavior of accusing people of alleged war actors at the same time recruiting coaching paying witnesses for the war crimes prosecution into making false statements against the Defendant.
Washington DC , Team of Investigators had long hours of discussion with two witnesses that Alain Werner Civitas Maxima Switzerland, Center for Justice and Accountability California USA and former Ulimo-k Operative / Alcop Youth Wing Co Chairman Hassan Bility Director of Global Justice Research Project Liberia recruited from Liberia to make false statement against Michel Desadeleer, including other cases involving alleged Liberian War Actors
THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF SIERRA LEONE and THE REVOLUTIONARY UNITED FRONT OF SIERRA LEONE (RUF/SL)
The Peace Agreement held in Lomé, Togo, from the 25 May 1999, to 7 July 1999 under the auspices of the former Chairman of ECOWAS, President Gnassingbe Eyadema; Recalling earlier initiatives undertaken by the countries of the sub-region and the International Community, aimed at bringing about a negotiated settlement of the conflict in Sierra Leone, and culminating in the Abidjan Peace Agreement of 30 November, 1996 and the ECOWAS Peace Plan of 23 October, 1997;
As a result, under Article VII of the agreement Foday Sankoh, Leader of the RUF was appointed as Chairman of the Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development as cited below:
Article VII: Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development: (1. Given the emergency situation facing the country, the parties agree that the Government shall exercise full control over the exploitation of gold, diamonds and other resources, for the benefit of the people of Sierra Leone. Accordingly, a Commission for the Management of Strategic Resources, National Reconstruction and Development (hereinafter termed the CMRRD) shall be established and charged with the responsibility of securing and monitoring the legitimate exploitation of Sierra Leone’s gold and diamonds, and other resources that are determined to be of strategic importance for national security and welfare as well as cater for post-war rehabilitation and reconstruction, as provided for under Article XXVIII of the present Agreement.
The Commission shall be governed by a Board whose Chairmanship shall be offered to the Leader of the RUF/SL, Corporal Foday Sankoh. As the Chairman, he had authority to sign mining agreements for diamonds and gold on behalf of the government of Sierra Leone
The CMRRD shall authorize licensing of artisanal production of diamonds and gold, in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations. All gold and diamonds extracted or otherwise sources from any Sierra Leonean territory shall be sold to the Government.
The CMRRD shall ensure, through the appropriate authorities, the security of the areas covered under this Article, and shall take all necessary measures against unauthorized exploitation.
For the export or local resale of gold and diamonds by the Government, the CMRRD shall authorize a buying and selling agreement with one or more reputable international and specialized mineral companies. All exports of Sierra Leonean gold and diamonds shall be transacted by the Government, under these agreements.
Michel Desadeleer that committed involuntary manslaughter after been accused falsely by Bility and Werner’s coached witnesses accusing him [Desadeleer] of war crimes, something Desadeleer could not withstand the embarrassment with his family therefore led to him committing suicide. In respect of strategic resources, the CMRRD shall be an autonomous body in carrying out its duties concerning the regulation of Sierra Leone’s strategic natural resources.
During the Peace Agreement talks in Lomé, Togo Sankoh met Michel Desadeleer, who was invited by his wife’s Aunt Brenda Brown Schoonover, the United States Ambassador to Togo, from January 1998 to July 2000 and present during the signing of the Lomé Peace Agreement. At the time Michel Desadeleer was working in Kinshasa, DRC as a Manager in the Produce Business headquartered in Belgium. He routinely received diamonds as a legitimate form of payment for produce from DRC citizens. In return he would repatriate the diamonds to Antwerp, Belgium where he would sale them and deposit the funds into the Corporate Account. So he had a great deal of experience in transacting diamonds.
He married Amy Johnson while living and working in the State of Maryland, USA. Because of his work in Africa he and Amy were visiting her aunt, Ambassador Schoonover in Lomé and as a result invited to attend the Lomé Peace Agreement in July 1999. While attending the ceremony Desaleer met Sankoh and during the discussions Sankoh mentioned that he was in charge of mining of gold and diamonds and Sierra Leone was open for business. Desadeleer mentioned his knowledge of the diamond business and his transaction experience in Antwerp. Further, he advised he knew the Chairman of the Africa Subcommittee, US Chamber of Commerce in Washington, DC and he may be interested in mining diamonds and gold.
As a result, Sankoh offered a contract to Desadeleer as the Chairman of the CMRRD. So. Desadeleer had a legitimate contract and reason to interact with Sankoh legally on a regular basis. With contract in hand Desadeleer engaged in a joint venture with the US Businessman and Chairman of the Africa Subcommittee for the US Chamber of Commerce. They marshalled mining equipment and shipped it to Sierra Leon for mining of gold and diamonds in 1999 and 2001.
During this time frame Desadeleer and his business partner and others regularly interacted with Sankoh and other members of the RUF, who were legitimately part of the CMRRD. Unfortunately, at the time Desadeleer was unaware that Sankoh had signed a similar contract with a number of other individuals for the same mining rights. Nonetheless, Desadeleer did have frequent and legal contact with members of the RUF, who were now members of the Revolutionary United Front Party, a political party formed as a result of the Lomé Peace Agreement.
The Belgium National Police newly formed Diamond Investigations unit were investigating the ongoing blood diamond smuggling operations from Sierra Leone and Liberia by Samih Osaily and Aziz Nassour, Lebanese to Antwerp, Belgium on behalf of the RUF and Charles Taylor. During that investigation the number of Desadeleer was detected with a call from one of the RUF members he had dealt with as a result of Sankoh and didn’t involve any wrongdoing. The Belgium National Police did not uncover any wrongdoing connected with Desadeleer during their comprehensive investigation which was shared with the Special Court for Sierra Leone.
In 2015 the Belgium National Police, based on information provided by Civitas Maxima accused Desadeleer of enslavement using victims to mine diamonds used to procure weapons for the RUF. All based on witnesses produced by Civitas Maxima, specifically Alain Werner and Hassan Bility. Conflicting testimony started to emerge once witnesses other than those produced by Civitas Maxima provided conflicting testimony about the legal relationship between the RUF and Desadeleer. Civitas Maxima allegedly portrayed Desadeleer as the architect and mastermind of the illegal diamond mining using forced and enslaved labor that had existed throughout the civil war. Trying to get a notch in their belt they tried to make Desadeleer the “White Face” of the conflict and convince the Belgium government that he was a “war criminal”, based on reportedly false information and false statements provided by coached witnesses reportedly produced by Werner and Bility.
Unfortunately, the Belgium government relied on these false assertions and issued an arrest warrant for Desadeleer and submitted it to Interpol which caused a red notice to be issued. That led to the arrest of Desadeleer while entering Spain in 2015 and was later extradited to Belgium where he was detained and despite his public pleading of innocence coupled with conflicting testimony of actual witnesses who knew of his legal relationship with the RUF, he committed suicide as a result of despair and humiliation while in custody in 2016.
His death is being viewed as a form of manslaughter, where someone takes the life of another as a result of reckless behavior. Clearly, the use of reportedly false and conflicting information to seek an unlawful arrest and prosecution of person led to the suicide of Desadeleer, arguably the result of the alleged reckless actions of Civitas Maxima.
Unfortunately, this has been the modus operandi recently uncovered during the trial of Gibrill Massaquoi including other cases wherein coached witnesses were produced by Civitas Maxima to provide false testimony of war crimes and crimes against humanity seeking a wrongful conviction for personal and financial gain. Civitas Maxima has received millions of Euros and US Dollars since its inception in 2012 from various donors, including the United Nations Voluntary Funds for Victims of Torture in support of this criminal enterprise .
The former United States Ambassador to Togo H/E Brenda Schoonover Under President Bill Clinton from 1998 to 2000 Aunt of Amy Desadeleer, who is the widow of Michel Desadeleer The team of Investigators are calling on the Tom Lantos Bipartisan Human Rights Commission of the United States House of Representative , Swiss Bar Association (Swiss Government) European Union , Office of Global Criminal Justice of the United States Department of State, United States Department of Homeland Security, United State Department of Justice, American & California Bar Association to investigate Civitas Maxima, Global Justice Research Project and Center for Justice and Accountability of been the accusing Institutions at the same time recruiting coached paying witnesses making false statements for the prosecution against the defendant.
