Accused mercenaries lose their lead lawyer

The head of the defence team for 70 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea has withdrawn from the case.

Veteran South African lawyer Francois Joubert, a specialist in security and terrorism cases, “is no longer a member of the defence team”, said fellow lawyer Alwyn Griebenow in Harare, the Zimbabwe capital, where the 70 are being held.