Former Liberian leader portrays himself as fighter of corruption

Liberia’s ex-leader resumes defense testimony

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — Charles Taylor has testifed before war crimes judges that he was an anti-corruption fighter in Liberia before ousting the military in a coup to restore democracy.

The former leader says war crimes accusations against him are “disinformation, misinformation, lies, rumors.” He is charged with 11 counts of murder, torture, rape, sexual slavery and the use of child soldiers and terrorism in his role backing rebels in Sierra Leone’s 1991-2002 civil war.

Taylor told the U.N.-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone on Wednesday that he became a midlevel member of the government after Samuel Doe seized power in a 1980 coup.

He says he became “very unpopular” when he tried to crack down on routine corrupt practices. He staged his own coup in 1989.