Mann: Court to issue verdict
2008-07-07 11:06
Malabo - A court in Equatorial Guinea is expected to issue a verdict on Monday in the case of a former British military officer charged with trying to overthrow the government, according to a statement read on state-run radio.
Simon Mann had said he knowingly participated in a plan to topple the longtime dictator of Africa's No. 3 oil producer in a botched 2004 coup. His lawyer had argued that the verdict should reflect Mann's repentance and his willingness to co-operate with prosecutors.
The court was expected to issue its verdict at 16:00, according to the communique issued by the appeals court and read on state-run radio early on Monday.
Mann, 55, faced up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors said the British officer was the ringleader of a coup plot allegedly financed by Mark Thatcher, son of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
The government said Mann hoped to install exiled opposition leader Severo Moto, who it said would have given them access to the tiny nation's oil wealth.
Thatcher pleaded guilty in a South African court in 2005 to unknowingly helping finance the unsuccessful coup. He was fined and given a suspended sentence.
- AP