|
| WORLD NEWS - WORLD NEWS - Campbell diamonds |
|
 06 Aug (TBA) Mandela official received Campbell 'diamonds'
The former head of Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, Jeremy Ratcliffe, has said he did receive alleged uncut diamonds from the model Naomi Campbell.
Mr Ratcliffe issued a statement after Ms Campbell’s testimony at the war crimes trial of ex-Liberian leader Charles Taylor in the Hague.
It is alleged that Ms Campbell received the gems from Mr Taylor in 1997, which could link him to illegal "blood diamonds".
Mr Ratcliffe said he was happy to testify at The Hague and had now handed the stones over to the authorities.
"Three small uncut diamonds were given to me by Naomi Campbell on the Blue Train on 26 September 1997," he said in a statement sent to the press.
At the trial Ms Campbell said she was given some "dirty-looking stones" after a 1997 dinner hosted by South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela and at which Mr Taylor was a guest.
She said two unidentified men knocked at her door and gave her the stones.
She told the court she did not have proof the stones came from Mr Taylor and had given them to Mr Ratcliffe because she wanted the stones to go to charity.
"Naomi suggested they could be of some benefit to the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) - but I told her I would not involve the NMCF in anything that could possibly be illegal," Mr Ratcliffe said.
|
|
|
|
|
)
