Secret memo deepens Thatcher link to coup plot
David Leigh and David Pallister

The Guardian
Saturday November 27, 2004

The Obiang regime in Equatorial Guinea yesterday jailed 11 foreign
mercenaries for up to 34 years, as documents surfaced further
implicating Mark Thatcher in a British-led coup attempt which has
caused international embarrassment.A long memo from the Old Etonian
mercenary Simon Mann, said to be at the heart of the plot, has been
seized by authorities in South Africa. A court there ruled this week
that Mark Thatcher will face trial in April.

The memo, written before the coup attempt, refers to “MT”, identified
to the South African prosecutors as Mr Thatcher by a key witness.

The document taken from the plotters’ computer says Mr Thatcher’s role
must be kept secret, or the coup would be at risk: “If involvement
becomes known, rest of us, and project, likely to be screwed as a
side-issue to people screwing him”.

Mann goes on to say that even if mercenaries succeeded in taking over
the oil-rich state, news of Mr Thatcher’s role “would particularly
add to a campaign post-event, to remove us”. He then emphasises:
“Ensure doesn’t happen.”

These disclosures follow the leak of phone records revealing Mr
Thatcher was also in contact with another of the alleged British
plotters, businessman Greg Wales, at a crucial moment before the
coup bid.

Mr Thatcher is facing a further five months on bail, reporting daily
to police from his suburban Capetown villa.

Mr Thatcher, who claims he thought he was financing a helicopter
for an air ambulance, gave an interview to Vanity Fair saying: “I
feel like a corpse that’s going down the Colorado river and there’s
nothing I can do about it.”

The Simon Mann memo now seen by the Guardian does not implicate the
British in the coup. Instead, in what seems to be a detailed plan
for a takeover, the ex-SAS officer seems preoccupied with getting US
backing, to prevent his mercenaries being chased out of Africa once
their role is discovered.

“We must follow plan to ensure that neither US government nor oil
companies feel that their interests are threatened.”

He says the US oil firms, who dominate Equatorial Guinea “must be
made to believe very fast that the thing is in their interest; their
staff safe; and that we are very powerful.”

In Equatorial Guinea yesterday, President Obiang’s regime drew back
from imposing death sentences. Nick du Toit, the South African arms
dealer who this month retracted a confession alleging torture, drew
a 34-year jail sentence.

Four other South Africans whom prosecutors said were mercenaries
received 17 years each in prison. Three others were acquitted.

Six Armenian air crew received jail terms of between 14 and 24
years each.

Would-be president Severo Moto was sentenced in absentia to 63
years. Eight other opposition exiles were similarly sentenced to 52
years each.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress