Dutch-born timber baron Guus Kouwenhoven is to be retried over charges of involvement in illegal arms sales and war crimes during the civil war in Liberia 10 years ago.
In 2006 a Dutch court sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment for arms trafficking, but that was overturned on appeal in 2008 and he was freed. The Dutch Supreme Court last week ordered the case to be re-examined.
Mr van Kouwenhoven was head of the Oriental Timber Company (OTC) during the regime of Charles Taylor, who waged a civil war in Liberia and Sierra Leone. NGOs said Mr Taylor depended on revenues from OTC’s illegal operations.
The timber was eventually the subject of UN sanctions and Mr van Kouwenhoven was placed on a UN travel ban before his arrest in Holland in 2005.
