SUSPECTED mercenary and alleged coup mastermind, Simon Mann’s trial will commence June 17, according to a press release issued to the Zimbabwe Guardian by the embassy of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea in the United Kingdom.
“This will be Simon Mann’s first court appearance since his deportation from Zimbabwe in February 2008,” read the statement issued Thursday.
The trial will be held before an Equatorial Guinea judge and an African Union judge will observe.
According to the statement: “Simon Mann now faces charges of masterminding the botched operation to overthrow the democratically elected Government of Equatorial Guinea and install a puppet regime.”
Mann is being held at the BlackBeach jail in Equatorial Guinea’s capital, Malabo, where the trial will be held.
If convicted in Equatorial Guinea he faces a minimum 30-year jail term.
Mann was arrested with 61 alleged accomplices when their plane landed at Harare international airport in March 2004.
The group was accused of stopping to pick up weapons in Zimbabwe while on their way to Malabo to oust President Teodoro Obiang Nguema.
Former British Prime Minister, Lady Thatcher’s son Mark, admitted to helping finance the coup plot and pleaded guilty in South Africa. He was released on a plea bargain.
The government of Equatorial Guinea has heightened security across the country in the past few weeks “with strict checks at all ports of entry and the courtroom”.
The location of the court room will be announced on the day of the trial and a limited number of journalists will be allowed into the courtroom throughout the trial.
"This is a high profile trial therefore all journalists should be prepared for security checks since the country's security is on high alert. The Government of Guiena is doing everything to ensure his trial is free, fair, transparent and uneventful. Journalists are advised to always have their passports and media identification cards with them for speedy identification."
International media attention
The trial has attracted international media attention, although no official press briefing has been carried out. There will a press briefing on the day of the trial after the first day's proceedings.
British and Spanish governments, and high ranking political figures, were named in the foiled coup plot.
According to Mann, disgraced Tory member Jeffrey Archer and EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson were also involved in the plot.
Dido • n/a Subject: Mann Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:41:31 • Many innocent African lives would have been lost if these soldiers of fortune had succeeded with their evil deed..All for the sake of controlling the oil riches of E.Guinea by these greedy and unscrupulous individuals and their backers.
So many Zimbabwean lives were lost to these dogs of war during the liberation struggle.
Nguema should just throw away the key and let him rot in jail .What you reap is what you sow.
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