Mann jailed for 34 years for coup plot

MALABO – British mercenary Simon Mann was jailed for 34 years by a court in Equatorial Guinea on Monday for a failed 2004 coup plot in which he said former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher’s son was also involved.

Mann, 56, an Eton-educated former army special forces officer, was sentenced to a prison term of 34 years, four months and three days for conspiring to topple President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo in the small, oil-producing West African state. Mann, wearing a grey prison uniform, stood impassively as the sentence was read out by presiding judge Carlos Mangue in the heavily guarded courtroom in the capital Malabo.His arrest four years ago by authorities in Zimbabwe, along with 70 other mercenaries en route to Equatorial Guinea aboard a plane, foiled the coup plan and ended the career of one of the last prominent “dogs of war” still active in Africa.Mann’s defence team can now either appeal against the sentence to the Supreme Court or directly apply for a pardon to President Obiang, who has ruled Equatorial Guinea since 1979.Seeking leniency, Mann had apologised and portrayed himself as a pawn of powerful international businessmen he said were trying to seize power in Equatorial Guinea, sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest oil producer.Judge Mangue said the long sentence was justified because of the “seriousness of the crimes” and the weight of evidence.Describing himself as a mere “employee”, Mann said the real masterminds behind the coup plot were business tycoons including London-based Lebanese millionaire Eli Calil and Mark Thatcher.Both Calil and Thatcher have denied any role in the conspiracy.But Mangue ordered the public prosecutor to seek to bring them to justice.Nampa-ReutersMann, wearing a grey prison uniform, stood impassively as the sentence was read out by presiding judge Carlos Mangue in the heavily guarded courtroom in the capital Malabo.His arrest four years ago by authorities in Zimbabwe, along with 70 other mercenaries en route to Equatorial Guinea aboard a plane, foiled the coup plan and ended the career of one of the last prominent “dogs of war” still active in Africa.Mann’s defence team can now either appeal against the sentence to the Supreme Court or directly apply for a pardon to President Obiang, who has ruled Equatorial Guinea since 1979.Seeking leniency, Mann had apologised and portrayed himself as a pawn of powerful international businessmen he said were trying to seize power in Equatorial Guinea, sub-Saharan Africa’s third-largest oil producer.Judge Mangue said the long sentence was justified because of the “seriousness of the crimes” and the weight of evidence.Describing himself as a mere “employee”, Mann said the real masterminds behind the coup plot were business tycoons including London-based Lebanese millionaire Eli Calil and Mark Thatcher.Both Calil and Thatcher have denied any role in the conspiracy.But Mangue ordered the public prosecutor to seek to bring them to justice.Nampa-Reuters