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67 could face murder charges
17/03/2004 10:19 - (SA)
Harare - Sixty-four suspected mercenaries detained in Zimbabwe along with their three-man flight crew face additional charges of plotting to kill the president of the oil-rich Equatorial Guinea, their lawyer said on Tuesday.
The suspects, accused of plotting a coup in the tiny west African nation, were previously notified that they would be charged under Zimbabwe's immigration and firearms laws.
On Tuesday, charges of plotting to kill President Teodoro Obiang Ngeuma and his bodyguards were added, attorney Jonathan Samkange said.
Additional charges under Zimbabwe's sweeping security laws were also being considered, state television reported.
The group was arrested when its ageing Boeing 727 landed at Harare International Airport on March 8. They were expected to make their first court appearance on Wednesday, but the new charges could delay proceedings, their lawyers said.
Zimbabwe Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge has said the men could face the death penalty. But none of the charges mentioned so far are capital offences.
Samkange questioned whether Zimbabwe has jurisdiction to bring murder charges against the suspects.
Not in Zimbabwe
"Even if they plotted murder, it would not have taken place in Zimbabwe and would not be covered by our laws," he said.
Zimbabwe investigators allege that Equatorial Guinea's Spanish-based rebel leader, Severo Moto, offered the suspects US$1.8 million and oil rights to overthrow the government. Fifteen suspected mercenaries were also arrested in Equatorial Guinea a few days before the plane was detained in Harare.
The suspects held in Zimbabwe say they were headed to eastern Congo to work at mining operations. They include 20 South Africans, 18 Namibians, 23 Angolans, two Congolese and a Zimbabwean.
Absurd
Zimbabwe has claimed the CIA, together with British and Spanish intelligence agencies, were assisting the coup plotters. US and British officials have dismissed the allegations as absurd.
Zimbabwe says details of the plot came from one of the alleged conspirators, who was detained as he waited to meet the plane. He has been identified as Simon Mann, a former British special forces member.
Zimbabwe television has reported security authorities are also holding two other members of Mann's advance group, identified as Simon Witherspoon and Nick Du Toit. They are accused of trying to purchase weapons for the mission from the state arms manufacturer.
- SAPA
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