Actress Mia Farrow has testified that model Naomi Campbell said she got a "huge diamond" from men sent by ex-Liberian president Charles Taylor.

Ms Farrow's testimony directly contradicts Ms Campbell's account that she received two or three stones and did not know who sent them.

Linking Mr Taylor to illegal "blood diamonds" is key to the prosecution's case at his war crimes trial in The Hague.

Mr Taylor denies all 11 charges.

He is accused of war crimes during Sierra Leone's civil war, including using the diamonds to fund rebels.

Breakfast chat
Giving evidence to the Special Court for Sierra Leone in the Netherlands last week, Ms Campbell said she was given some "dirty-looking stones" after a dinner hosted by former South African President Nelson Mandela in 1997.

But she said she did not know they were diamonds or who the gift was from.

However, Ms Farrow told the court that when Ms Campbell came down for breakfast the next morning, she began speaking even before she sat down.

"What I remember is Naomi Campbell... said, in effect, 'Oh my god... last night I was awakened by knocking at the door and it was men sent by Charles Taylor and he sent me... a huge diamond'," Ms Farrow said.

Ms Farrow said the suggestion that Mr Taylor sent the gift came directly from Ms Campbell, contradicting Ms Campbell's testimony that she did not know who had sent it.

"And she said that she intended to give the diamond to Nelson Mandela's children's charity."...