Court grants model 'protective measures'

SUPERMODEL Naomi Campbell was yesterday granted "protective measures" ahead of her appearance in court to give evidence in the case against former warlord Charles Taylor.

The Special Court for Sierra Leone granted her the right for a lawyer to be present to ensure she did not give any evidence that might incriminate her.

The court said the lawyer would have "limited right to be heard solely on the admissibility of any questions put to Ms Campbell".

The court also ordered officials to ensure "no person shall photograph, or video-record Ms Campbell while entering the tribunal building, exiting from the tribunal building, or while she is in the tribunal building, without leave of the Trial Chamber or Ms Campbell".

A spokesman for the Special Court in the Hague, where Campbell is due to give evidence tomorrow, could not say definitively if this would prevent the model from being photographed by journalists outside the court.

Campbell was issued with a subpoena to attend after actress Mia Farrow and the model's former agent said she received a rough diamond from Taylor after a charity party hosted by Nelson Mandela in South Africa in 1997. Taylor, 62, is charged with 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity.