'Mercenary leader' admits trying to buy weapons

The alleged leader of 70 suspected mercenaries accused of plotting a coup in Equatorial Guinea has pleaded guilty to attempting to buy weapons in Zimbabwe, but denied they were for use in the takeover attempt.

Former British special forces member Simon Mann, acting for a legal firm of firearms dealers known as Military Technical Services, admits dealing with the Zimbabwe state arms maker for nearly five years, defence lawyer Jonathan Samkange said.

But he says his latest order for a consignment of pistols, assault rifles, heavy machine guns, mortars, anti-tank rockets and other explosives was for use guarding mining installations in Congo.

Mann and the 69 other suspects face conspiracy, security and firearms charges carrying a penalty of between 10 years and life imprisonment.

Of the 69 suspects, 67 pleaded guilty on Tuesday to lesser charges of breaking immigration and aviation laws when their ageing Boeing 727 landed at Harare airport on March 7.

They were immediately convicted of the offences, which are punishable by up to two years in jail.

Mann was the only one asked to plead to the more serious charges yesterday.

Prosecutors allege Equatorial Guinea’s Spanish-based rebel leader, Severo Moto, offered the group cash and oil rights to overthrow President Theodoro Obiang Nguema in the former Spanish colony.

Seven other South Africans and Namibians were arrested and face charges in Equatorial Guinea.

The suspects on trial in Zimbabwe, most of them former members of South Africa’s apartheid-era military forces, maintain they were headed to security jobs at mines in eastern Congo.

Evidence of cloak-and-dagger arms dealing emerged on the second day of their trial on Wednesday.

Hope Mutizi, marketing manager for Zimbabwe Defence Industries, told a makeshift court at Chikurubi maximum security prison that his managers “always stressed paper work should be kept at a minimum” in deals with Mann and his associates.

Regular “end user” certificates for arms purchases were not issued.

The case has been beset by delays and haggling between defence and state lawyers over the charges, evidence and a possible plea bargain.

Earlier yesterday, the defence team announced that their lead attorney, veteran South African lawyer Francois Joubert, had withdrawn from the trial. No reason was given.

The case continues today.