THE PANEL’S STATEMENT OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS: REGARDING THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE PERSON KNOWN AS GENERAL TACO BY THE AFRICAN PEOPLES LIBERATION TRIBUNAL 

June 15, 2014 at 4:12 pm

THE PANEL’S STATEMENT OF FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS:

REGARDING THE ACCUSATIONS AGAINST THE PERSON KNOWN AS GENERAL TACO BY THE AFRICAN PEOPLES LIBERATION TRIBUNAL 

Introduction to the Panel

The Panel of the African Peoples Liberation Tribunal is a diverse group from the African community, consisting of five (5) women and seven (7) men, engaged in various occupations, from business owners to public servants, from teachers to care-givers, from former panthers to ex-felons, and from equally diverse religious backgrounds, i.e.,Muslim, Christian, Atheists and Agnostics. Representing diverse viewpoints, the Panel members represent a cross-section of the African Community and are by no means cut from the same cloth. 

The Panel were, and are, united in our concern for the welfare and progress of African peoples in general and African Americans in particular, and also share a history of community involvement and community service. It should be noted that the Panel is no “clique,” and has no pre-disposition for or against the Black Riders Liberation Party (BRLP) or its acknowledged leader, known as General TACO; in fact, most members of the Panel have not worked directly together before. Neither the charging “Committee,” nor Okyeame, the Tribunal “coordinator,” instructed the Panel as to how to arrive at its “findings” or “conclusions,” which are ours alone. Moreover, our collectively determined “findings and conclusions” were the result of extended discussions regarding the “charging allegations,” and have been delayed solely because of our intent to thoroughly review and decide the “legitimacy and truth” of the “charging allegations” of the African Peoples Liberation Tribunal.

The Panel Process in Arriving at its Findings and Conclusions

In arriving at our “findings,” we relied solely on the testimony of live, and recorded, witnesses, our own common sense, and our individual and collective experience in organizing in our community. The Panel’s initial task was to determine the credibility and veracity of the“charging allegations” made against Mischa Culton, aka, General TACO. In arriving at our “conclusions,” we considered as evidence the “testimony” of alleged “victims,”eyewitness testimony given either in person or recorded statements. 

In addition, the Panelists received a packet of documents that included: a Statement of Allegations; two “responses” to the allegations, either written by or on behalf of General TACO; a Response to Questions About the Tribunal; a Statement of the Process Concerning Allegations; and a Statement of Support from the Committee; and also a Compilation of “codes of conduct” of revolutionary organizations, including the Black Panther Party. 

In total, there were seven (7) witnesses, four (4) in person, and three (3) on taped recordings presented during the Tribunal proceedings. General TACO, aka Mischa Culton, elected not to attend the tribunal or to respond to the specific allegations personally. In the absence of physical and other supporting evidence, we had to evaluate the integrity of the testimony of the witnesses themselves, and having established credibility (or lack thereof) of witnesses testimony, we then had to assess whether that testimony supported the charging allegations.

We applied principles universally known in determining witness credibility. They are“common sense” principles as well as officially defined in many sources, and summarized here in these questions: 1) Was the witness in a position to observe, otherwise competent to perceive what they are testifying about; at the times they indicated, five of the seven witnesses were all established members of the BRLP; they were in a position to observe, and were mentally and physically capable of observing. 2) Were the details consistent or contradictory; 3) Did the witness stand to lose, or gain, anything by testifying; not likely; they were not offered any compensation in any form for their testimony to a small number of community members, many unknown to them. And even if these were“disgruntled ex-members of the BRLP” on some unprovoked vendetta, what of the non-member testimony? Did they have anything to lose? For some of the witnesses, their testimony would implicate them in crimes if exposed to the state security apparatus. And it is clear, according to the Statement of Support that “someone” has issued threats regarding their testifying - not to mention what would these witnesses gain by spreading elaborate falsehoods?

Our "conclusions" are really an impression of overall reasonableness of the witnesses’ testimony - either those who testified invented these elaborate stories, collaborated together so that their stories overlap and are consistent, and approached community leaders over a period of approximately 7 years, all in an unprovoked attempt to discredit General TACO, aka Mischa Culton, or in service to a “COINTELPRO plot;”or, there is more than sufficient reason to think that these testimonies are representative of the testifying person’s actual experiences; and we find the latter to be more likely true.

Therefore, in accordance with the universal laws of the Creator, Nature, Nations, Community, Family, and Self, the Panel of the African Peoples' Liberation Tribunal sets forth the following Findings and Conclusions regarding the allegations against the individual who calls himself, and is known publicly as, General T.A.C.O aka Mischa Culton, the leader of the Black Riders Liberation Party. 

We recognize, and fully acknowledge that the allegations were brought against General T. A.C.O.  aka Mischa Culton as an individual, and not the BRLP as an organization. We also acknowledge that the allegations are a “wake-up call” to the community of revolutionary thinkers and organizations that hold true the high moral and ethical principles required to assume the mantle of “leadership and trust” of those who currently and in the past have fought, struggled, and sacrificed for the betterment of our community and humanity as a whole.

We believe that we are required by morality, duty, and collective purpose to address, seriously, the matters that have been brought to us in order to heal those who have been victimized in the name of “revolutionary purpose” and to restore our faith in each other. We have diligently reviewed the evidence presented to the Panel on May 24,2014 and May 25, 2014, and have summoned the resources of our collective mental and spiritual faculties in order to come to the following Findings and Conclusions:

The Panel Findings and Conclusions

1. As to the Charge of TORTURE AND OTHER PHYSICAL ABUSE: i.e., 

Personally performing and ordering members to engage in imprisoning, torturing, and assaulting cadre in the organization under the pretense of “organizational discipline,”personally beating cadre until their faces were bloodied, causing broken bones, black eyes, cuts, bruises, loss of teeth, requiring medical care. These allegations were substantiated through the testimony of five (5)individuals: a) Sergeant Stress; b) Shemeka; c) Ebony; d) Askari; e) Dialu (by audio recording).

Witness testimony was most abundant and consistent in the description of physical assaults and torture (as defined in International Law Article 1 Section 2). If not descriptions of the same incidents, descriptions of similar incidents from persons who were members at different times, especially compelling was the testimony about violence directed at sister Ayana. The atmosphere of intimidation and violence was further attested to by the testimony of non-members who said they were subjected to intimidating body language and gestures when in dispute with General TACO, aka Culton, and other BRLP members. No evidence was presented to disprove the allegations by the accused or anyone else.

Significantly, the Panel also found insufficient testimony to support the sub-allegation that torture and other physical abuse was inflicted by General TACO, aka Mischa Culton, on members of "an affiliated organization," neither was the allegation that "the incidents of violence number in the thousands from 1996 to 2013," found to be substantiated by testimony. 

2. As to the Charge of SEXUAL ABUSE AND VIOLENCE, i.e., 

abusing the position of authority as undisputed leader of the BRLP by committing multiple acts of inducing female cadre with less than equal position (some of whom were minors) to engage in exploitative sexual relationships; Causing female members to leave mates to become his "wives"; engaging in "multiple marriages," purportedly under“Islamic Law,” but reportedly done in violation of Islamic Law. Inflicting physical violence on his "wives" and encouraging female members to engage in acts of, and profiting  from, prostitution of female cadre. Witness testimony was consistent in the description of General TACO’s, commission of these offenses again, from persons participating in the BRLP at different times. These allegations were substantiated through the testimony of five (5) individuals: a) Sergeant Stress; b)Shemeka; c) Ebony; d) Askari; e) Dialu (by audio recording). No evidence was presented to disprove the allegations by the accused or anyone else. 

The Panel found that insufficient evidence was presented to substantiate the sub-allegations: that General TACO, aka Culton, "knowingly” engaged in unprotected sexual acts with multiple female cadre (who were) infected with sexually transmitted diseases, including AIDS; 2) That General TACO, aka Culton, "forced" female cadre into prostitution.

However, as to the allegation that Culton committed the "rape of a female comrade," we find and conclude that, as to the alleged “rape,” Shameka testified that she was drugged in the presence of General TACO, aka Culton, and another unidentified brother and later discovered she was pregnant and therefore knew she'd been raped while unconscious, and that she testified that General TACO acknowledged his paternity of her child. She also testified being raped after she left BRLP, but gave no description of those attacks. No evidence was presented to disprove the allegations by the accused or anyone else. Therefore, this charge is substantiated.

3. As to the Charge of USE OF FALSE AND POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS 

ACCUSATIONS TO MASK REACTIONARY CRIMINALITY, i.e., 

recklessly and falsely referring to critics and defectors from the BRLP as “police agents and provocateurs” in order to quiet dissent knowing such false accusations can lead to violence and death to those accused. This allegation was found to be substantiated through the testimony of individuals identified as:1) Sergeant Stress and 2) Askari. Testimony was consistent regarding "use of false and potentially dangerous accusations." Multiple witnesses attested to General TACO’s, aka Culton's, labeling of critics and former members as“informants” and “snitches.” That this was in fact habitual practice, may be supported by his choice to emphasize the word "snitches" in Akbar's excerpt, or his choice to use the excerpt at all to represent his response to the herein serious allegations. Indeed, the theme of the excerpt from Naim Akbar fits squarely into the notion of infiltration/sabotage, since General TACO, aka Culton, seems to assert that the allegations as a whole are an attempt to ruin a"natural black leader" (himself) by agents of the "slaveholder" or White Supremacist power structure, and bolster the position of "manufactured leaders." While in another written response, General TACO, aka Culton, states that he sees himself as a victim of a very sophisticated COINTELPRO operation. 

No evidence was presented to disprove the allegations by the accused or anyone else.

The Panel was presented with no testimonial or documentary evidence to substantiate the sub-allegation "to mask reactionary criminality," because witnesses did not describe this purpose as a particular motive.

4. As to the Charge of ABUSE OF TRUST AND EXPLOITATION OF 

COMRADES, i.e., 

using violence or threat of violence to gain cooperation, material resources or other support from comrades and supporters, including elders of the activist community. This allegation was found to be substantiated through the testimony of individuals identified as: 1) Sergeant Stress; 2) Shemeka; 3) Ebony; 4) Askari; 5) Dialu (by audio recording); 6) Ras Bob and wife Kimberly (by audio recording). Further, the Panel found that sufficient evidence was presented to substantiate the sub-allegations, but that the "abuse of trust and exploitation" was not restricted to "comrades" as the language of the primary allegation suggests. No evidence was presented to disprove the allegations found to be true by the accused or anyone else.

5. As to the Charge of DECEIVING THE MASSES AND SUPPORTERS FOR

PURPOSES OF THEFT AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT, i.e., 

personally and by use of cadre, fraudulently soliciting (and) receiving material assistance, money, services, merchandise and other resources from the masses and supporters. This allegation was found to be substantiated through the testimony of individuals identified as: 1) Sergeant Stress; 2) Ras Bob and wife Kimberly (by audio recording). No evidence was presented to disprove the allegations found to be true by the accused or anyone else. The term "masses" was taken by the Panel to mean the community at large, not directly engaged in activist work/organizations. "Supporters" was taken to mean, individuals intending to provide on going material support to BRLP based on their apparent or projected ideological stance. Although there was testimony about merchandise and money, there was no testimony that identified any particular “services” as having been fraudulently solicited. 

6. As to the Charge of TAKING ACTIONS LIKELY TO PROVOKE 

SECTARIAN AND INTER-ETHNIC VIOLENCE, 

The Panel finds that no evidence was presented to substantiate this allegation. 

7. As to the Charge of ENGAGING IN UNPRINCIPLED, CRIMINAL 

CONDUCT, PROVOKING INDIGNATION AND CONTEMPT AGAINST REVOLUTIONARIES BY THE MASSES AND SUPPORTERS AND BRINGING REVOLUTIONARY MOVEMENT AS A WHOLE INTO DISREPUTE, i.e., 

the cumulative effect of the charged misconduct of General TACO, aka Culton, has caused (former cadre) to become alienated from revolutionary struggle, and to view revolutionary leadership and organizations as criminal, brutal, exploitative and false. 

If the basic definition of alienation is “to be negatively separated from”, there was no testimony that individual supporters or masses were alienated. The individual supporters we heard from, Kim and Bob testified specifically that their disappointment was with the brother (Taco) not with revolutionary work in general; their revolutionary ideals were not in the least affected according to their testimony. There was no testimony sufficient for determining whether the masses (community at large) were alienated. However, the testimony from Stress and Askari that former members (cadre) made statements like "don't talk to me about that “black stuff" that they were no longer interested in revolutionary work, speaks directly to alienation. The testimony of Kim /Bob specifically goes to show that the behavior of General TACO, aka Culton, provoked contempt and indignation toward himself. 

But the testimony was consistent in describing the demoralizing effect of the personal experiences with General TACO, aka Culton, as "provoking indignation and contempt" among former members, and non-members. It should also be noted that he did not deny or refute any of the allegations in his responses, which suggests that he does not deny the specific acts he was accused of.

For all of the above reasons, the Panel finds`that this allegation is supported by the testimony presented at the Tribunal, and finds that the herein charged conduct has "provoked indignation and contempt" among former members, and non-members. 

Affirmed this 11th Day Of June, 2014, at Los Angeles, California by the Following 

Panel Members:

Abdullah Shabazz

Assata Umoja 

B. Kwaku Duren

De'niece Williams

Donna Graham

Fanya Baruti 

Jabari Jumaane

Muriel Shabazz

Ronald Baba Preston

Shareef Abdullah

Tasha Thomas 

Tehuti Kambui