The trial for Naomi Campbell and blood diamonds just got a whole lot worse for Charles Taylor. 

Supermodel Naomi Campbell testified she allegedly received blood diamonds from the former Liberian president.

Two weeks ago, Jeremy Ratcliffe, the former leader of the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund, admitted he secretly kept diamonds received from the model, who received the diamonds from Taylor in 1997.   He only confessed this when Campbell mentioned him at the war crimes trial at The Hague in the Netherlands.

The African-American supermodel said she given Ratcliffe three stones because she wanted them to go to charity.  But the former children's fund head held on to the stones because he wanted to protect the reputation of former South African president Nelson Mandela and his charity.  Ratcliffe has since handed over the diamonds to the South African police on August 5th, the same day that Campbell testified in court. The uncut stones are said to allegedly be diamonds which are not conflict-free (aka blood diamonds.)

Ratcliffe has since apologized for keeping quiet but he also decided to step down from his role as a trustee, the charity's board has reported.  In a statement, Ratcliffe apologized for causing possible reputational risk to the charity by not informing his colleagues he received the diamonds.  He will not make himself available for re-election at the annual general meeting later this month. 

The former CEO of the charity said that Campbell suggested the diamonds could benefit the Nelson Mandela Children's Fund but at the time, Ratcliffe told her he would not involve the organization in anything that could possibly be illegal, but then kept the diamonds himself because he thought it might be illegal for her to take them out of the country.

The Nelson Mandela Children's Fund (NMCF) board made a statement to the South African Press Association (SAPA) that said, "Mr Ratcliffe regrets his omission to inform the chairperson, and the rest of the board of trustees of the NMCF of his receipt of the uncut diamonds until now and acknowledges that had he done so, he and the board would have found a better and lawful way to manage the situation,"

According to Xinhuanet.com, a person in South Africa found in possession of uncut diamonds without a license can be subject to 10 years in prison or 250,000 rand ($34,000) or both.

Former Liberian president Taylor is accused of using blood diamonds to secure weapons for Sierra Leone rebels during their 10-year civil war that ended that began in 1991.  Prosecutors also accuse him of other charges including training and commanding the rebels who have been known to rape, maim, and murder South African civilians.

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