Deal that kept thatcher out of jail

Mark Thatcher avoided jail in South Africa after striking a plea bargain over his alleged role in a coup plot in oil-rich Equatorial Guinea.

Thatcher agreed to pay a €377,000 fine in return for his freedom.

He pleaded guilty in the Cape High Court to breaching section two of the anti-mercenary Foreign Military Assistance Act.

Lawyers for Thatcher, who denies any link to the alleged conspiracy, stressed that he had not been charged with any involvement in the attempted coup.

They said in a statement: “The plea bargain was entered into solely as a result of his financing of the charter of a helicopter in circumstances where he should have exercised more caution.”

Thatcher began to suspect that the helicopter might be used for mercenary activity in the west African region.

“He nevertheless fulfilled his obligations in terms of the agreement to finance the charter of the helicopter.

“Although the helicopter was never used in any such mercenary activity, and in fact did not leave southern Africa, Sir Mark had by then committed an attempt to contravene the provisions of the Act.”

Thatcher also faces charges in Equatorial Guinea, which claims that he and other, mainly British, financiers commissioned a foiled bid to overthrow the 25-year regime of President Teodoro Obiang.

The saga began in March when Eton and Sandhurst-educated ex-SAS captain Simon Mann was held in Zimbabwe along with a group of mercenaries over the plot.

Five months after the Zimbabwe arrests Sir Mark was arrested at his Cape Town home and charged in South Africa with violating its anti-mercenary law – a charge he always denied until now.

Mann received a seven-year jail sentence in Zimbabwe in September for trying to buy arms from that country’s state arms manufacturer.

But that sentence was cut by three years at the High Court in Zimbabwe this week, it emerged today.

According to the plea bargain agreement, Thatcher said his friend Mann told him in November 2003 that he was getting involved in a transport venture in West Africa.

Mann asked whether Thatcher could help him by chartering a Bell Jet Ranger III helicopter for this purpose.

Thatcher told Mann he would be interested in becoming involved.

In early December 2003, Thatcher became aware of two Alouette II helicopters available for sale and told Mann.

Mann asked Thatcher to contact Crause Steyl, who operated his own air ambulance company, and who, according to Mann, had the “necessary experience” to give advice.

Thatcher met Steyl at Lanseria airport, Johannesburg, where they discussed cost options with reference to the Alouette and other options that might be available.

Thatcher said he later began to doubt Mann’s true intentions and suspected he might be planning mercenary activity in West Africa.

“The accused began to suspect that the helicopter might in fact be intended for use in such mercenary activity.

“Despite his misgivings, the accused decided to invest money in the charter of the helicopter.

“In fact, Mann and Steyl did intend to use the helicopter in mercenary activity,” read the plea bargain statement.