Naomi Campbell: I've “Nothing to Gain” by Lying

"I am a black woman who has and will always support good causes especially relating to Africa"

British Supermodel Naomi Campbell insisted Tuesday that she wasn’t lying in her court testimony in the war-crimes trial of ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor, who is accused of providing weapons to rebels in Sierra Leone in exchange for illegal “blood” diamonds.

"I've no motive here. Nothing to gain. I am a black woman who has and will always support good causes especially relating to Africa," Campbell said in a statement a day after actress Mia Farrow contradicted her court testimony in The Hague, Reuters reported.

Last week, Campbell said she was given what looked like “dirty looking pebbles” by two men late at night while in South Africa after having attended a 1997 dinner where Taylor was also present.

Campbell said she did not know the stones came from Taylor, who was overthrown in 2003 and is being charged on 11 counts including rape, sexual slavery and drafting child soldiers in connection with Sierra Leone’s 11-year civil war – which reportedly killed at least 50,000 people and mutilated twice as many. He denies the charges.

After receiving the stones, Campbell said, she gave them a South African charity the following day.

Farrow, however, said in court Monday that Campbell had bragged to her at a charity breakfast both attended the next morning about having received a “huge diamond” from men sent by Taylor.

On Tuesday, Campbell’s ex-agent Carole White also told the court she believed the model received blood diamonds, People reported.

Campbell’s statement, which was released by a London PR agency, said the model was “hurt” by suggestions she did not care about those who suffered in Africa.

"Naomi Campbell was in South Africa helping a charity, had the diamonds for a matter of hours and handed them over to a representative of Nelson Mandela's children's charity,” the statement said. "She was not on trial in The Hague and was as helpful toward the court as she could be."
 

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