The Liberian President, Mr Charles Taylor, threatened with sanctions for trading arms for gems with rebels in Sierra Leone, has called for a UN probe into his bank accounts and offered to resign if diamond funds are found.
Mr Taylor's spokesman, Mr Milton Teahjay, quoted a letter sent by Mr Taylor to the UN Secretary-General, Mr Kofi Annan, requesting the investigation and waiving his non-disclosure rights.
The Security Council is expected to discuss this week US-proposed sanctions on Liberia inspired by a UN report on Liberia's role in Sierra Leone's civil war.
Liberia stands accused of trading diamonds from rebelheld areas of neighbouring Sierra Leone. The draft resolution said the report contained "unequivocal and overwhelming evidence" that Liberia was "actively supporting the RUF [Revolutionary United Front] at all levels".
"I request the UN Security Council to establish a . . . panel to determine any ownership, if any, of large personal funds as a result of [the] diamond trade," Mr Teahjay quoted the letter as saying.
"In the event that this is found to be true, I shall resign my position as President of the Republic of Liberia," it added.
Diplomats interpreted Mr Taylor's call for an inquiry, along with other recent measures, as a last-ditch attempt to avert the proposed sanctions, which include a global embargo on Liberian diamond and timber exports as well as a flight and travel ban.
Mr Taylor's government said on January 13th it would no longer back the RUF and called on the rebels to lay down their weapons.
In a statement the government said all people connected with the RUF would leave Liberia, including notorious former RUF field commander Mr Sam Bockarie, known as "General Mosquito". Witnesses said Mr Bockarie was still in Monrovia on Sunday.
In another move which diplomats say was probably linked to the sanctions threat, Mr Taylor's government on Monday ordered the grounding of all Liberian-registered aircraft until their owners had supplied full registration documents.
A flight ban on Liberian registered aircraft is among the measures proposed to the Security Council, after the UN report said Liberian-registered aircraft were being used to traffic arms and diamonds.
Mr Teahjay told a talk show on private radio station DC101 that Mr Taylor's letter would be delivered to Mr Annan by Foreign Minister Monie Captan, who had left for the US on Monday.
The US-introduced resolution has strong backing from Sierra Leone's former colonial ruler Britain, but after lobbying from Liberia diplomats said several African countries had already voiced objections to the proposed sanctions.
"There is a very good case for sanctions on Liberia - I think there are some pretty good arguments. But the way is not smooth," one diplomatic source said.