There was no coup plot, says Du Toit

[emad]

Beauregard Tromp
November 17 2004 at 07:32AM

Malabo - Equatorial Guinea intends to seek the extradition of Mark Thatcher, son of the former British prime minister, in connection with the alleged coup plot, a government source here has said.

Meanwhile, after he had admitted his role in the alleged coup attempt, accused mercenary Nick du Toit has now done an about-turn and is arguing that there never was a plot to overthrow the government.

Prosecutors have now added Thatcher and seven others to the ranks of those charged in the alleged March takeover plot, a defence attorney, Fabian Nsue Nguema, has said.

The others are Simon Mann, Greg Wales, Eli Calil, Severo Moto and his government-in-exile, David Hart, Jeffrey Archer, David Tremain, Tim Spicer and Tony Buckingham, the alleged financiers of the coup.
More:
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=86&art_id=vn20041117040241111C170285

CHANNEL 4 News last night said du Toit had rescinded his previous legal please and said he had been tortured to confess...

[emad]

1. Thatcher to fight call for extradition over 'coup'

Times

By Daniel McGrory



SIR MARK THATCHER is facing an extradition demand from Equatorial Guinea to stand trial over claims that he helped to bankroll an attempted coup in the oil-rich West African state.

Legal officials said yesterday that the son of Baroness Thatcher, the former Prime Minister, could face a 15-year jail sentence if convicted.

In the latest twist to the saga of the alleged coup plot, officials told The Times last night that they also wanted to extradite at least three prominent businessmen living in Britain who they claim took part in the alleged conspiracy.

Last night Sir Mark’s lawyers said that they would fight any attempt to extradite him or try him in his absence. Close aides of the 51-year-old businessman claim that Sir Mark would be the victim of a “show trial” as the authorities in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea, want to use a high-profile figure such as him to embarrass the British Government.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,172-1361992,00.html

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2. Coup confession came after torture, mercenary suspect tells trial

David Leigh
Wednesday November 17, 2004
The Guardian

A suspected mercenary on trial in Equatorial Guinea for an alleged British-led coup plot involving Mark Thatcher retracted his confession yesterday and said he had been tortured.

"There was no attempted coup d'état in this country," the South African arms dealer Nick du Toit told a court in the capital, Malabo. "I had to tell these people what they wanted. It was the only way to stay alive."

Mr Du Toit, wearing shorts and ankle shackles, said an arrested German had been killed by his captors. The authorities have insisted he died of malaria.

"We were tortured, we were roughly handled," he said. "They killed Gerhard Merxz and I realised that if I did not work with these people they could continue killing us one by one."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/equatorialguinea/story/0,15013,1352822,00.html

[dArKeR]

3. Suspected mercenaries 'chained like animals'

Malabo - A South African arms dealer , who could face death if convicted of an alleged plot to overthrow the president of Equatorial Guinea, told a court on Thursday he and his comrades had been chained like animals and tortured into confessing.

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=68&art_id=vn20041119094928566C847042

What's the point? It's okay to torture Muslims but not Christians?