‘Coup leader’ guilty of arms charge

THE alleged ringleader of a plot to topple the government in Equatorial Guinea was convicted yesterday of trying to buy weapons from Zimbabwe’s state arms manufacturer, but 66 other suspected mercenaries were acquitted of the charge.

Simon Mann’s conviction in Zimbabwe came as Equatorial Guinea said it had asked for Mark Thatcher, one of the alleged backers of the conspiracy to be extradited from South Africa.

Equatorial Guinea still carries out the death penalty for serious crimes.