Ex-Liberia Leader Charles Taylor's Assets Frozen

Security Council Orders Assets Of Ex-Liberia Leader Charles Taylor Frozen

The United Nations Security Council today ordered all governments to freeze the assets of former Liberian leader Charles Taylor and his immediate family and barred them from using "misappropriated funds and property" to obstruct the restoration of peace and stability in Liberia and the West African sub-region.

The Council acted unanimously in a http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sc8024.doc.htm resolution calling on all States to freeze any assets in their jurisdiction that were owned by "former Liberian President Charles Taylor, his immediate family members, in particular Jewell Howard Taylor and Charles Taylor, Jr., senior officials of the former Taylor regime, or other close allies or associates" as designated by a Security Council sanctions committee.

The text also contains provisions exempting basic expenses, including payment for food, rent, mortgage, medicines and medical treatment, taxes, insurance premiums, public utility charges, or payment of reasonable professional and legal fees.

The Council committee will help governments while expecting them to report on all actions they had taken to trace and freeze the Taylor assets, according to the measure.

A previous resolution had forbidden the Taylors and their allies to enter or transit through any country except for Nigeria, where the former Liberian leader lives in exile. He has been charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and terrorism in Sierra Leone, by that country's http://www.sc-sl.org/ Special Court.

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