Charles Taylor’s Men linked to Killing of American Citizen in Liberia

By Josephus Moses Gray
Monrovia, Liberia




The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

June 7, 2004


Reports gathered in Monrovia have linked two top close associates of exiled former Liberian President Charles Taylor to the killing of a high profile American citizen, John Auffery, 44, who was a civilian employee of the U.S. Defense Department.

According to the report, the murder suspects identified as Emmanuel Mulbah (or Boye T. Moore), 23, Charles Thomas, 27; Jeff Williams and Mascara Kenneth are all members of a Taylor's network believed to still be active in the country. Three of the suspects are still at large while suspect Thomas has turned himself to the police.

Last week, the remains of John Auffrey were flown out of the country to the United States where an autopsy is to be performed; Liberia's Police Director Col. Chris Massaquoi indicated to local and international journalists in Monrovia.

John Auffrey was gruesomely murdered at the Mamba Point Hotel in Monrovia on May 31. He was the deputy head of the 30-man US military assessment mission to Liberia dispatched to develop the program for the restructuring of the national army - Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL).

The suspects are former members of the disbanded dreaded security guard of Charles Taylor, the Anti Terrorist Unit (ATU), which was responsible for dozens of human rights abuses, including killings, raping, torturing, maltreatments, flogging of innocent civilians, looting and the destruction of millions of dollars worth of properties. The ATU, during Taylor’s six-year rule, committed heinous crimes with impunity.

The reports also revealed that the suspects have close relationships with two top so-called generals of the Taylor's regime, Cocoo Dennis and Benjamin Yeaten. Gen. Yeaten is believed to be in Lome, Togo, while Gen. Dennis can be seen in the streets of Monrovia with some of Taylor loyalists. Although the presence of the UN Mission in Liberia has naturalize the authorities of Taylor men in the country, it is no secret that Taylor network to some degree is still effective and active, with Gen. Dennis and others believed to be running the network under the cover of darkness, a high brass at the Liberia's Defense Ministry revealed.

Another reports published in the June 3 edition of The Telegraph weekly newspaper said the Taylor network has planned to assassinate Mr. David Crane, the Prosecutor of the UN back Special War Crimes Court in neighboring Sierra Leone. The assassination should have taken place in Monrovia, the paper alleged.