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Monrovia — The US Authorities has formally indicted for immigration fraud, Sekou Digital camera, generally often known as “Okay-1”, a former fierce basic of the Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy, LURD.
LURD, one in every of two insurgent teams that pressured then Liberian President, Charles Taylor out of energy in 2003, dedicated 18,797 or 12% of all atrocities reported to Liberia’s Fact and Reconciliation Fee, in the course of the first and second civil wars. Such alleged crimes embrace rape, homicide, torture and looting. The numbers are solely second to Taylor’s Nationwide Patriotic Entrance of Liberia, NPFL dedicated in the course of the first war–63, 843, or 39%, the report added.
However the report made no point out of Normal “Okay-1”, though the TRC stated its findings of human rights violations of the wars will not be exhaustive.
“In June 2011, Camara submitted an software for a non-immigrant visa to the USA. In that software Camara falsely contended, amongst different issues, that he: 1) was not a member of a tribe; 2) had by no means served in or been a member of a insurgent group or rebel group”, the Japanese District Courtroom of Pennsylvania, the place he will probably be prosecuted quoted a portion of the indictment on its web site as saying. The court docket additional stated of the indictment that Digital camera allegedly lied to immigration officers that he “had by no means dedicated, ordered, incited, assisted or in any other case participated in political killings or different acts of violence”.
“Camara’s software was accredited and he was issued a non-immigrant visa which he used to enter the USA, it added”.
It’s the similar Courtroom that prosecuted for comparable crimes, Mohammed Jabateh, generally often known as “Jungle Jabbah, a former basic of the United Liberation for Democracy, ULIMO and Tom Woewiyu, the quantity two to Taylor within the NPFL management construction after they had been arrested, charged, and indicted by US authorities. Jabated was convicted and sentenced to 30 years in jail by the Courtroom, whereas Woewiyu was convicted, however died of COVID-19 in April 2020 as he awaited his sentence. Identical to throughout these two trials, the Swiss based mostly CM, Civitas Maxima and its Liberian counterpart, GJRP, the World Justice and Analysis Venture had been concerned with Digital camera’s investigation, which culminated in his arrest and indictment.
The indictment stated Camara, 43, also referred to as “Dragon Grasp,” “falsely contended, amongst different issues, that he: 1) was not in search of and had not sought a visa, entry into the USA, or any immigration profit by fraud or misrepresentation; and a pair of) had by no means engaged within the recruitment or use of kid troopers” an software the indictment stated was “accredited”. “As alleged within the indictment, this defendant tried to evade accountability for his horrific involvement in Liberia’s brutual civil wars by fraudulently acquiring U.S. immigration paperwork,” stated US Lawyer Jennifer Arbittier Williams. “Because of the laborious work and perseverance of our prosecutors and regulation enforcement companions, he can now not run and conceal from justice” Williams insisted. William S. Walker, Particular Agent in Cost of the Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) Philadelphia Discipline Workplace, defined why they took curiosity in Digital camera’s case: “Investigations like this one are a chief precedence of the No Secure Haven mission, and HSI will proceed to work tirelessly to analyze those that try and evade justice for crimes they dedicated abroad. We won’t enable the USA to be a secure haven for these trying to cover from their previous.”
If convicted, Digital camera faces a most potential sentence of 10 years in jail and a $250,000 wonderful, an quantity equal to the variety of folks estimated to have been killed throughout Liberia’s two civil wars. Digital camera’s indictment has come precisely every week after CM and GJRP misplaced a case in a Finnish district court docket in opposition to Gibril Massaquoi, a former commander of Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Entrance. In an 850-page ruling, the Courtroom stated there was “an inexpensive doubt” that Massaquoi, 52, had dedicated struggle crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity throughout Liberia’s second civil struggle. Prosecutors are nonetheless making ready an enchantment in opposition to the judgement. Digital camera’s indictment is more likely to reignite public debate for a struggle crimes court docket to prosecute these accused of bearing the best accountability for atrocities dedicated throughout Liberia’s civil wars, though President Weah, as soon as seen by human rights advocates as the one Liberian chief who might make sure the organising of the court docket by means of the Legislature as constitutionally required, as a result of he was believed to not have supported any warring factions in the course of the wars, has but to take a definitive place on the matter.
This story was produced in collaboration with New Narratives as a part of its West Africa Justice Reporting Venture.
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