Naomi Campbell summoned at war crimes court over blood diamond
Naomi Campbell 'summoned' by prosecutors at The Hague over claims she received blood diamond from Charles Taylor
Thursday, 20, May 2010 06:26
By Matthew Champion.
Naomi Campbell may be issued with a subpoena by war crimes prosecutors over allegations she received a blood diamond from former Liberian president Charles Taylor.
The British supermodel has denied claims by actress-turned-political activist Mia Farrow that she was given the diamond by aides to Mr Taylor during a trip by both women to South Africa in 1997.
Prosecutors at the special court for Sierra Leone, which is trying Mr Taylor for war crimes and crimes against humanity in The Hague, have requested subpoenas for Campbell and Farrow, as well as modelling agent Carole White.
Writing on the micro-blogging website Twitter, the court said: "The prosecution has filed a motion seeking to reopen its case to call three witnesses: Naomi Campbell, Mia Farrow, and Carole White."
Farrow claimed in an interview with ABC News in April that Campbell had told her she had been visited by aides for Mr Taylor in the middle of the night when they visited South Africa on the invitation of Nelson Mandela 13 years ago.
Prosecutors allege that Mr Taylor, president of Liberia between 1997 and 2003, was in South Africa trying to purchase weapons with blood diamonds looted from mines in Sierra Leone.
"She said during the night some men had knocked on her door and she, half asleep, had opened the door and it was representatives of president Charles Taylor and they had given her a huge diamond," Farrow said last month.