New revelations implicate Simone Gbagbo in the murder of French-Canadian journalist

An Ivorian court on Wednesday was told of how Guy-André Keiffer, a French-Canadian journalist was executed and his body cremated under the orders of former Ivorian first lady Simone Gbagbo, who is currently facing charges of war crimes in her country.

A former militia head, Moses Harold Metch, narrated how Keiffer was killed by a commander named Ansélme Seka Yapo who was the then head of body guards of the former first lady.

However, Rodrigue Dadje , a lawyer representing Simone denied the accusation.

Keiffer, who was 54 years old when he disappeared in 2004, was an independent journalist working in the commercial capital Abidjan. He was reporting on corruption in the west African country.

His family maintained that he was targeted by the former Ivorian government for his work and had spent two days in a cell in the presidential palace, before he disappeared.

News Agencies