Switzerland orders banks to freeze accounts of Liberian leader

SWITZERLAND has ordered local banks to freeze accounts belonging to Liberian President Charles Taylor and his associates after a request from the UN-backed war crimes court in Sierra Leone, the government said yesterday.

The Justice Ministry said it had ordered banks in Zurich and Geneva to block accounts of people named by the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which says Mr Taylor was one of the main perpetrators of crimes against humanity and war crimes during the country’s civil war. He was indicted on June 4.

The request for assistance, which was made last week, affects Mr Taylor, his relatives, members of his government as well as various business people and companies, the ministry said.