The BBC reported on Thursday that it had obtained documents from Sierra Leone police files containing fresh claims that President Charles Taylor of Liberia is involved in gun-running and diamond smuggling with rebels in Sierra Leone.
The documents allege that two weeks ago, Taylor sent a rocket launcher under Liberian escort to Sierra Leone’s Revolutionary United Front.
They also claim that two truckloads of arms, including rocket-propelled grenades and AK-47 rifles, were sent at the beginning of last month.
Another document identifies a woman in Sierra Leone who reportedly sends precious stones to Taylor on a daily basis from the diamond-mining area, the BBC reported, adding that the files came directly from the police and did not seem to be part of a propaganda campaign by the Sierra Leonean government.
Liberia has denied being involved in smuggling diamonds and selling guns to Revolutionary United Front (RUF) rebels in Sierra Leone.
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