Equatorial Guinea Court Sentences British Mercenary To 34 Years In Prison

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 06:54:28 +0000
Windsor Genova - AHN News Writer

Malabo, Equatorial Guinea (AHN) - A court here sentenced British mercenary Simon Mann to 34 years imprisonment on Monday for leading a failed coup d-etat in 2004.

Mann, 56, and 61 other suspected accomplices were arrested in March 2004 in Zimbabwe, where they were imprisoned before being extradited to Equatorial Guinea in January. Mann was fined $235,000, ordered to pay $47 million in damages and barred from entering the small African country for 20 years after serving his prison term.

Mann admitted leading a coup that planned to kill and overthrow President Teodoro Obiang Nguema. His goal was to bring back to power exiled opposition leader Severo Moto. He implicated British businessman Ely Calil and Mark Thatcher, the son of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher, as masterminds in the coup. He said Spain, South Africa, and the United States approved the coup.

The Malabo court has ordered state prosecutors to extradite Thatcher and Calil.

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