Ex-Prime Ministers son implicated in military coup

The son of former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher has been implicated as being involved in the military coup which was planned to over through President Teodoro Obiang Nguema and take over the small west African country of Equatorial Guinea.

Sir Mark Thatcher is believed to have a central character in the plot which was doomed to fail in 2004. The ex-SAS officer Simon Mann is on trial in the country's capital Malabo for leading a team of mercenaries whose goal was to take over the country for its enormous oil reserves.

Simon Mann said: "I was told by Calil that the Spanish government had promised Moto that in the event of a coup they would immediately, the following morning, give international recognition to Moto and send their Civil Guard to Equatorial Guinea to assist him,"

"We were expecting a great deal of help from local people. I understand the President's guard is 300-strong and then there's the army. How could I expect to overpower them with just 80 men? I was there simply to protect Moto while he formed his new government," he said. 

"I think the people who are seriously involved and have not faced justice should do so. I've been in prison for four years and I'm not the same man."

Finally, he apologised. "I'm very, very sorry for what I tried to do and I'm very happy that we failed. Especially now I am here and have met some of your people." 

Sir Mark Thatcher has already been to court in South Africa for his role in the coup, he admitted paying 350,000 ($700,000) for a helicopter, but he says that he had no idea what the bird was going to be used for.

Simon Mann has been in prison for four years and has been told that he may be sentenced to thirty years for the attempted coup. 

Source [Telegraph]