‘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.

Mann, aged 51, is an Old Etonian and former SAS officer who is a friend of Mark Thatcher.

He admitted trying to order assault rifles, grenades, anti-tank rocket launchers and other weapons from the Zimbabwe Defence Industries - an offence punishable by up to 10 years in prison. But magistrate Mishrod Guvamombe said prosecutors failed to prove their case against 64 other men arrested when their ageing Boeing 727 landed at Harare International Airport on March 7 and two already in Zimbabwe with Mann at the time.

He also acquitted Mann of an additional charge of taking possession of the weapons.

Meanwhile Thatcher, the son of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, remained under house arrest in Cape Town after detectives swooped on his luxurious home in the city on Wednesday.

He faces the possibility of 15 years in jail after being accused of violating South Africa’s anti-mercenary law in connection with the alleged coup attempt.

Mrs Thatcher arrived back in London from a holiday in the United States but made no comment on the furore surrounding her controversial son.