Taylor out but not down

last updated 8 January 2015

Monrovia, Liberia

Liberia’s deposed president, Charles Taylor, is still meddling in his country’s affairs from exile in Nigeria, diplomats said this week. Violating the terms of his asylum, Taylor has been repeatedly phoning his handpicked successor, Moses Blah, and calling in debts from Liberian businessmen. Taylor is believed to have looted as much as $1 billion from state-run industries during his nine-year rule, and he may still be profiting from the country’s “flag of convenience” arrangements. Liberia earns $24 million a year by registering 70 percent of the world’s cargo ships under its flag. “Which bank account is that money going into?” asked Jacques Klein, U.N. envoy to Liberia. “We’ll need to figure that out.”