Some of life's greatest opportunities come unexpectedly, and this is certainly the case today.

A piece in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle today repeats some serious allegations: that witnesses who may testify in George Boley’s deportation proceeding received payments to do so.

Details are absent from the allegations in the Democrat and Chronicle, but Boley’s attorney is quoted saying:

“I’ve got reports that these people have been put up in plush accommodations in Ghana and have been offered money to testify in the government’s behalf,” said Buffalo-based immigration lawyer Matthew Kolken, who is representing George Boley Sr.

A similar report was published last may in a Monrovia newspaper (Apparently, reprinted here).

Specifically, that report states:

Journalist Hassan Bility in 2009 travelled to Monrovia with two white Americans and contacted one Blama Monger, an influential LPC fighter who was also used to contact additional former LPC fighters.

It was disclosed that Monger and Mr. Bility has successfully listed some six men including Monger himself, who were taken to the Royal Hotel in Sinkor where the two Americans were reportedly lodging, and where the recruits for witness were interviewed as to their certain knowledge of any the atrocious acts by Dr. Boley during the LPC belligerence against the National patriotic front of Liberia.

Some of the fighters disclosed that they were asked at the Hotel on 15th Street Royal Sinkor questions like: Isn’t it true that Mr. Boley killed personally? The answer, accordingly by the fighters who wanted to snatch a US$30,000 each as was reportedly promised them was “Yes”.

“The two white man and Hassan Bility talked in my presence when he took me to them, but I didn’t know what the talk,” Monger explained to an insider and associate of Dr. Boley, who played the tape of the conversation on a mobile phone.

“I don’t get money at the time; but when it cause for me to go they will give me some money,” Monger said. HASSAN Bility along with Monger, it was indicated, came alone; “we went to the hotel, the interview us one by one. Ask us to testify against Boley,” Monger furthered said.

He claimed that they him their phone numbers to stay in touch. “They give me there phone number and all,” added, noting that for a second time, the other group of white five Americans came and lodge at the Mamba Point Hotel; hired a conference room in Cape Hotel where they called Monger and his colleagues to interview them further on their witness status in the case against Dr. Boley.

“This time they were five; the people from the states wanted to know the character of Dr. Boley. I told them I joined the LPC 1992. I told them Boley killed; he took his own gun and fire at people,” Monger explained. He was head saying that that they would call him when the wanted him.

However, our sources said the recruits were flown to Ghana. In furtherance of the deal, from where they were expected to have undergone their final interview before taking off for the Minnesota. But it appears that the plan is not materializing to expectation as three of the recruits intended for witness against Boley reportedly absconded with US$10.000, each.

Boley, in case you may have forgotten, led the Liberian Peace Council, one of the warring factions during the civil war. He is facing deportation under the accusation that he lied about his involvement in “extrajudicial killings.” Boley has parried his involvement with the LPC in recent years, insisting that he was involved with the political, not military, component of the group–and presumably that he couldn’t be held to account for the groups well-documented human rights abuses. This formulation is similar to Charles Taylor’s attempt to distance himself from the violations committed by soldiers within his rebel group.

The substance of the allegations published today–that witnesses have been put up in Ghanaian hotels and received money–are unremarkable. Witnesses and potential witnesses are routinely housed and provided a per diem–this was the case in the Chucky Taylor trial and in the Charles Taylor trial. This applied to both prosecution and defense witnesses. Whether this constitutes an inducement to testify has also been raised. To that extent, these allegations seem to be a standard plot point in the prosecution of Liberian war criminals–when attacking the charges doesn’t get you anywhere, attack the investigation.

(An interesting aside: Hassan Bility, the former journalist who is alleged to have worked for American investigators in Liberia, served as a prosecution witness in both the Charles Taylor and Chucky Taylor trials. It’s an interesting second act.)

The veracity of Boley’s attorney’s allegations or the government’s charges against Boley will have to be assessed elsewhere. But, it should be noted that this isn’t unfamiliar terrain for any of the parties involved. International justice is a tricky proposition. As is reporting on it. I think it’s fair to assume that, between West Africa and the United States, there’s always the potential for something to get lost in transit.