Diamond scandal

Famous international supermodel Naomi Campbell testified, at the war crimes trial of former Liberian ruler Charles Taylor on Thursday August the 5th 2010, that she received a gift of "dirty-looking stones" after attending a dinner with him. Naomi however denied she knew they were diamonds or that they were given to her directly by Taylor himself. Naomi had met him at a gala dinner along with other VIPs like Nelson Mandela in South Africa 1997.

Campbell said she was awakened in the middle of the night by two men at her door, offering her a gift pouch. Surprisingly, she said she did not look at the gift until the next morning, when she discovered "… a few stones in there. And they were small dirty-looking stones…” She added, the next day she gave them to a friend who did charity work in South Africa.

Campbell’s testimony comes as result of claims made by actress Mia Farrow, that Taylor gave the model an uncut diamond or diamonds after a dinner party hosted by Nelson Mandela .

This could provide evidence Taylor received diamonds from Sierra Leone rebels in exchange for weapons during the country's 1992-2002 civil war.

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