Government probes suspected violation on UN diamond ban

The Liberian government is investigating a suspected violation of the United Nations ban on export of rough diamonds from the country. Two Ministers and a Japanese national, who was intercepted at Monrovia international airport carrying US $ 135,000, have been linked to the probe, a diplomatic source told IRIN.

An information ministry statement Tuesday announced that President Charles Taylor had suspended deputy lands minister Mulbah Willie and assistant minister for mines, James Konuwa, so
that they could be investigated.

"The government established that the two ministers and the Japanese [Tatsunari Uchida] were in touch," the diplomatic source told IRIN on Wednesday. "It is not clear whether the US $135,000 found in Uchida's briefcase were proceeds from previous sales or was money he wanted to use to buy the diamonds," he added.

Liberian justice ministry officials were quoted by the PanAfrican News Agency (PANA) on Wednesday, that the deal was busted when the Japanese, Tatsunari Uchida was found on 14 November with the cash. " Due to the questionable nature of the huge sum found with Uchida, a preliminary investigation conducted revealed an apparent conspiracy involving the two Liberian officials," the officials were quoted as saying.

Sources at the National Bureau of Investigation were quoted by the news agency saying :"The deal was to engage in the purchase and export of Liberian rough diamonds in violation of the existing United Nations ban on the export of diamonds from Liberia".

"The deal was to engage in the purchase and export of Liberian rough diamonds in violation of the existing United Nations ban on the export of rough diamonds from Liberia," PANA reported the sources as saying.

The UN Security Council imposed a ban on the export of Liberia's rough diamonds in May this year, after a panel of expert found out that the country was trading guns for diamonds with neighbouring Sierra Leone's rebels of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF).

"The government seems determined to see that nobody messes it up. President Taylor is anxious to show that he is complying with the sanctions to avoid imposition of more," the diplomatic source said.

PANA reported the justice ministry sources as saying the money had been deposited in a bank as the probe continues. But the sources could neither say whether Uchida was found with diamonds in his possession nor how the diamond deal had been hatched because the Japanese was "intercepted" with the money while departing the country.