67 to face yet more charges
2004-03-17 13:47
Harare - The court appearance of 67 men alleged to be mercenaries involved in a coup plot in Equatorial Guinea was called off on Wednesday as new charges under anti-subversion laws were prepared.
Defence lawyers accused President Robert Mugabe's government of using political influence on the attorney-general's office, getting it to charge the men under security legislation with heavy penalties.
The men have been in detention for 10 days since they were arrested at Harare International Airport and accused of planning to overthrow Equatorial Guinea's President Teodoro Mbasogo.
It is alleged that 64 mercenaries and three crew flew in a Boeing 727 from South Africa on March 7, stopped at Harare to collect a consignment of military weaponry organised by an advance party and were planning to fly on to stage the coup d'etat in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea.
Officials in Harare said the "advance party" was arrested in a "sting" operation after they came to Zimbabwe first in February and allegedly negotiated with the state-owned arms manufacturer, Zimbabwe Defence Industries, to buy AK47 automatic rifles, light machine guns, mortars, rocket launchers, pistols, hand grenades and ammunition.
Harare claimed that British and American intelligence were backing the coup.
Simon Mann, the alleged leader of the operation, has been described as a former British Special Air Services officer and a founder member of Executive Outcomes, the now defunct South African mercenary recruiting company.
Firearms and immigration laws
The men were first charged with breaking firearms and immigration laws.
On Tuesday defence lawyers were told a charge of conspiring to murder Mbasogo would be added.
Defence lawyer Jonathan Samkange said the defence team was expecting to go to court on Wednesday morning, but the investigating officer telephoned to postpone the court appearance and asked them to come to the Chikurubi Prison again where their clients would be charged under the Public Order and Security Act (POSA).
Samkange said he had been given no details of the charge, but the state-controlled daily Herald quoted acting attorney-general Bharat Patel as saying that they would be charged under the act, "for weaponry". He did not elaborate.
Earlier this week Patel and defence lawyers agreed there was nothing in Zimbabwean law for them to charged with anything more than offences under immigration and firearms control legislation.
"Naturally," he said, when asked if the government was bringing political influence to bear on the attorney-general. He referred to Foreign Minister Stan Mudenge's statement last week that the government would impose "the severest punishment" against the group, including hanging.
"They (the government) want them to face the charges with severest penalties. Under POSA the penalty is 10 years. Attempting to acquire arms under the firearms act without a licence carries a Z$1000 fine," he said.
- SAPA