Court told Britain backed Equatorial Guinea coup

South African president Thabo Mbeki was regularly informed of the progress of an attempted coup in Equatorial Guinea which was also sanctioned by the United States, Britain and Spain, a state witness testified today.

Sean Abdinor told the Pretoria Regional Court that Simon Mann, the alleged British coup leader, had assured him the governments of these countries were involved, the South African Press Association reported.

Abdinor, who arranged air transport for the alleged plotters, was testifying against eight men accused of contravening the South African Foreign Military Assistance Act due to their alleged involvement in the 2004 attempt to overthrow the government of the West African nation.

They were among a group of 70 suspects arrested on landing in the Zimbabwe capital, Harare and who insisted they were on their way to provide security at a diamond mine in the Congo.

In the meantime, lawyers for Mann, who is to be released from a Zimbabwe jail in May, this week opposed a court bid to have him extradited to Equatorial Guinea so he can face trial there.

Defence attorney Jonathan Samkange, said it would be “improper” for Zimbabwe to extradite Mann to a country where he could be tortured and would not get a fair trial, the state controlled Herald newspaper in Zimbabwe reported.

However, attorney-general Jose Olo Obono assured a court in Harare that Mann would not be executed or tortured if Zimbabwe agreed to extradite him to Equatorial Guinea. Obono said the former British army officer would get an “open and fair trial.”

The extradition hearing was adjourned until March 23.

The botched plot, dubbed the “Wonga Coup”, to unseat president Teodoro Obiang Nguema from the oil-rich country, has involved a number of wealthy and influential public figures in South Africa and Britain.

Mark Thatcher, son of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, pleaded guilty in a South African court to unwittingly helping to bankroll the coup attempt. He was fined and received a suspended sentence.

SAPA reported yesterday that another state witness said Thatcher had appeared extremely nervous in his dealing with the alleged coup plotters.

Crause Steyl said Thatcher suffered from numerous “nervous twitches” when they met to arrange financing from him for a helicopter to be used in the plot. Thatcher met him at Lanseria airport near Johannesburg in December 2003.

He agreed to provide finance for a helicopter to be used in the plot. Initially the helicopter was to be bought, but it was later decided to charter one for a few months.

Thatcher paid Steyl USD275,000 (€200,000) to pay for the chartering of the helicopter which was to be used in Equatorial Guinea to transport coup personnel around. “He was concerned once the helicopter was acquired on whose name it was going to be registered – anyone but his,” Steyl said.