'I was almost famous'

2005-01-14 08:02

East London - The owner of a helicopter company in East London said on Thursday he had no idea that one of his helicopters had been chartered for Mark Thatcher's Equatorial Guinea coup bid.

Brian Katz of the firm AV8 admitted that one of his helicopters had been rented by one of Thatcher's associates, Crause Steyl, who has since also been arrested by the Scorpions.

Steyl, who operated his own air ambulance company, phoned Katz to discuss the charter.

"He said they needed the helicopter for medical rescue work in Equatorial Guinea. I had no idea that it was part of a coup plot and only later, after the news of the plot broke, realised that the helicopter was supposed to have been part of the plan."

Katz said he dealt only with Steyl and never spoke to Thatcher.

He said the helicopter, which was flown by AV8 pilot Matthew Carter, only went as far as Walvis Bay in Namibia because he (Katz) insisted on receiving the paperwork before it left for Equatorial Guinea.

"Matthew sat there for three weeks and waited. They never told him the real reason.

"When I realised that no paperwork was forthcoming from the Civil Aviation Authority and from the Equatorial Guinea authorities I asked that the helicopter be brought back."

Katz said Steyl paid him normal rates and a deposit before Carter left for Namibia.

He said he has no idea why Steyl called him but "we are a helicopter company and get called out on contracts all the time."

He said there was never a chance that his helicopter would have been involved in any plot.

"There was no way that the helicopter would have entered Equatorial Guinea without the necessary paperwork.

"I was almost famous," he said.

"But disappointment is an understatement to describe how I felt when I learnt what the idea behind the charter had been."

- SAPA