Liberian Media Summary

20 February Newspaper Summary

Local Media

Latvian Journalist Testifies how Taylor and Cronies Smuggled Weapons in Sub-Region
(Daily Observer, The News, Heritage, New Democrat, The Analyst)

An investigative Latvian journalist, Immants Liepins has told the ongoing Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission ’Corruption and Economic Crimes’ hearing that the Italian government is currently investigating a retired agent of the United States Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Roger D’onofrio Ruggiero, a former business partner of ex-Liberian president Charles Taylor on wealth accrued during their partnership.
In his testimony on Thursday, Mr. Liepins said Ruggiero reportedly joined the defunct National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) leader Charles Taylor and others to organize an enterprise to smuggle weapons into the West African sub-region.
Liepins who displayed documents to substantiate his claims, further said Ruggiero collaborated with Taylor, a representative of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi, Eastern European arms smugglers and the defunct rebel RUF’s Ibrahim Bah to organize the International Business Consultant Limited (IBC) to serve as support for large weapons deals.
The documents Liepins submitted to the TRC disclosed that the company entered into deals with the Bulgarian Company, Kintex, which supplied weapons and ammunition to IBC and sold diamonds in return. The diamonds, he added, were camouflaged as oranges and olives, with the aid of some Bulgarian companies in Zurich, Switzerland, represented by Swiss lawyer Rodulf Meroni.
Liepins disclosed that the company, IBC accrued an estimated US$3 million as profit from the deal in 1993 alone.
"The IBC is a Liberian company de jure that was founded by me, Charles Taylor and Michele Papa who was my representative in all deals with Libya, as he and Massimo PUGLIESE had trade relations with President Qaddafi," the document submitted to the TRC from Ruggiero said.
Liepins previously worked with Latvia’s largest media institutions: Daily Business, Evening News, Independent Morning News, among others, before he founded the Public Investigation Bureau. He is also the author of two books, one on financial crime and corruption (2008). He has been nominated this year by UNESCO as a candidate for the World Press Freedom Prize.

Lebanese Union Donates 200 Wooden, Plastic Chairs to Liberia’s Medical College
(Daily Observer)

The faculty, staff and students of the nation's highest medical institution, A.M. Doglioti College of Medicine at the University of Liberia (UL), were on February 17, 2009 jubilant recipients of 150 wooden and 50 white plastic chairs from the World Lebanese Culture Union (WLCU) as a goodwill gesture intended to enhance the sitting capacity of the college.

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