More charges against SA men
2004-03-18 22:55
Harare - Zimbabwe authorities on Thursday stunned defence lawyers and their clients, 70 men said to be plotting the overthrow of the government of Equatorial Guinea, when they came up with a fifth new charge against them in as many days.
Lawyers said they arrived on Thursday at Chikurubi Prison just outside Harare where the group is being held, expecting to make arrangements for them to be taken to court for their first appearance before a magistrate since they were arrested 11 days ago.
"There was another charge," said lawyer Chris Venturas. "They are shopping for charges."
The latest was for "attempting to overthrow a foreign government", under the Foreign Subversives Organisations Act that was passed by the former white-minority Rhodesian government in 1963, he said.
In the previous four days they have been successively charged with "conspiring to possess lethal weapons", plotting to murder the tiny West African state's president, Teodoro Mbasogo, and violating firearms control legislation and contravening immigration regulations.
Venturas said: "I hope we will go to court tomorrow (on Friday)."
'Absolutely frustrated and confused'
The constant addition of charges was "good at the end of the day because any magistrate will see through it".
However, the 70 detainees were "absolutely frustrated and confused", he said.
"Most of them don't speak English. There have been translators, but with the sheer force of numbers, you cannot explain to everyone what is going on."
On Thursday, they had no translators, he said.
The group is of made up of South Africans, Angolans, Namibians, Democratic Republic of Congo nationals and a Zimbabwean, although all of them carry South African passports, said the lawyers.
The governments of both Zimbabwe and the former Spanish colony have said that 64 "mercenaries" and three crew flew in a Boeing 727 from South Africa on March 7.
They stopped at Harare to collect a consignment of military weaponry organised by an advance party and then meant to fly on to Malabo, the capital of Equatorial guinea, to carry out the coup.
Harare says an "advance party" was also arrested at Harare international airport on Sunday last week after a "sting" operation.
'Appears determined to find a serious offence'
It is claimed they came to Harare first last month to negotiate the purchase of AK-47 automatic rifles, light machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, pistols, hand grenades and ammunition from the state arms manufacturer.
Legal observers say the government appears determined to find a serious offence with which they can charge the "mercenaries".
Foreign minister Stan Mudenge last week said they would face "the most severe punishment", including hanging.
However, state lawyers have said there is little more that they can be accused of, other than lesser offences under firearms control and immigration laws. - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA