Naomi Campbell’s ‘Dirty’ Diamonds Found, Court Testimony Disputed

In another day of high media attention testimonies, actress Mia Farrow told a court that model Naomi Campbell knew the diamonds she received in 1997 were from the former president of Liberia Charles Taylor.

Farrow is the one that told the press that Campbell received diamonds from Taylor. Taylor is standing trial on 11 counts of war crimes in Sierra Leone.

Last Thursday, Campbell testified that following a gala dinner, during which she was seated next to Taylor, two men gave her a pouch containing “dirty looking stones,” adding that she did not know if Taylor was the one who sent her the diamonds.

In her testimony today (Monday) at the UN war crimes tribunal, Farrow said that Campbell joined her at breakfast, saying in excitement that she received a “huge diamond” from men sent by Charles Taylor.

Meanwhile, the diamonds that were given to Campbell surfaced in South Africa. The British model said in her testimony that she gave the diamonds to an organizer of a South African children’s charity.

Jeremy Ractliffe, who ran Nelson Mandela's charity, turned over the diamonds to police Friday, a day after Campbell’s testimony. Only licensed diamond traders are allowed to hold on to rough diamonds in South Africa. Ractliffe may therefore find himself in court following a police investigation.